By Mick Johnson

Today we’re announcing an update to the Facebook app for iPhone and iPad that makes keeping up with friends faster and easier. Facebook 5.0 for iOS is twice as fast as the previous version when launching the app, scrolling through news feed and opening photos in feed.

App opens quickly

We’ve rebuilt the app from the ground up, so now the app opens much faster and your news feed and notifications load right when you open Facebook.

Stories scroll smoothly

As you scroll down your news feed, all your friends’ stories appear faster than ever. A banner lets you know when new stories come in, and you can tap once to immediately see the latest updates.

Photos load instantly

Tap on any photo and it opens right away. Pull down to close it with a single swipe.

How to get the update

This update will be available later today. Get a link to the app texted to your phone or just search for ‘Facebook’ on the App Store.