Facebook announced that they will begin rolling its Find Wi-Fi everywhere in the world on iOS and Android.
“We launched Find Wi-Fi in a handful of countries last year and found it’s not only helpful for people who are traveling or on-the-go, but especially useful in areas where cellular data is scarce.” said Alex Himel in a blog post.
The company had launched a “Find Wi-Fi” option last year on smartphones, which highlighted free, public Wi-Fi networks nearby. For now, the option was available only for iPhone users in selected countries, but now it has been launched for Android too.
Find Wi-Fi helps you locate available Wi-Fi hot spots nearby that businesses have shared with Facebook from their Page. So wherever you are, you can easily map the closest connections when your data connection is weak.
In developed markets like the U.S., that could mean more remote, rural locations, but in emerging markets, it’s an even more powerful tool as users often have limited data plans, and spotty cellular coverage in general.
Besides that, the only-hitch is actually using the Find Wi-Fi feature requires turning on always-on location access to the Facebook app on your smartphone; using the ‘while using the app’ location setting won’t allow you to use the feature.
To find Wi-Fi hotspots, open your Facebook app, click on the “More” tab and then “Find Wi-Fi.” Once in the “Find Wi-Fi” tab you may need to turn it on. You can then browse the closest available hotspots on a map, and learn more about the businesses hosting them.