Last November, Facebook started testing out a new feature to help users find Wi-Fi hotspots in their area to help keep them connected.
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That test showed promise, so now, Facebook’s expanding the ‘Find Wi-Fi’ option to all users everywhere in the world, on both iPhone and Android.
As explained by Facebook:
“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.”
A shown in the video, to access the new Wi-Fi listings, you tap on the ‘More’ option, then on the ‘Find Wi-Fi’ tool, which’ll bring up the list or map view to help you find your nearest Wi-Fi location.
As we reported back in November, part of the impetus for the tool could be the emphasis on Facebook Live – you can’t ‘go live’ without a reliable connection. By making it easier for people to stay connected, it increases their prospects of broadcasting – though Facebook notes that the main use case is for people while traveling or those in areas of low connectivity.
And the option could also present an opportunity for those businesses who offer Wi-Fi to patrons – by connecting your business Page to Facebook’s Wi Fi listings, your location and details will also appear on the map, which is an additional avenue through which to attract new customers.
To get your business listed, you need to have a router that supports Facebook Wi-Fi – there’s a full listing of supported devices here.
You then need to connect your Page via Facebook Wi-Fi – the process is different for each device.
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Once you’re connected, your Page will show up when users go searching – the process itself is fairly straight-forward, but again, you do need to have a router that supports Facebook connection.
For cafes and the like, this could be a great opportunity, so it’s definitely worth checking out whether you can get your business listed.
‘Find Wi-Fi’ is being rolled out to all users from today