Facebook has started testing a new feature that will help users find the nearest public WiFi networks they can access for free. A report said that the experimental feature in the iOS app will allow users to toggle on "Find WiFi" option in their menus. The social network's spokesperson confirmed that the company has begun rolling out the "feature that surfaces open WiFi networks associated with nearby places" in order "to help people stay connected to the friends and experiences they care about."
Facebook Is Testing An Experiment On Public WiFi
The experimental feature is still in testing and has yet to officially roll out. Mashable didn't find the new feature on Apple iPhones 7 and 7 Plus and on Android phone OnePlus 3T even the smartphones are running the latest version of the Facebook app. "To help people stay connected to the friends and experiences they care about, we are rolling out a new feature that surfaces open Wi-Fi networks associated with nearby places," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable.
As The Next Web points out, helping Facebook users to find public WiFi could enable more people to use Facebook Live. If your smartphone connection isn't strong, a nearby Wi-Fi location can be a big help to you. Unless, of course, your Facebook Live broadcast is dependent on your specific location.
How The New Feature Works
According to Engadget, once you've switched on the feature, the Facebook app will automatically detect places with free WiFi near your location and mark them on a map. It will even list the location's business hours, its nature and WiFi name, so you know you're not connecting to the wrong network.
As we all know, this is just a test feature or at least a feature that is rolling out very slowly and very quietly. Although, it would be a handy addition and a very great help to the Facebook app, it would also mean you’d need one less app on your phone since Facebook’s Wi-Fi feature would presumably negate the need for a Wi-Fi finder app.
