Like it not, Facebook is now a part of (most of) our lives. The ubiquitous social network does some things pretty well – like free messaging and event planning – but it’s also more bloated than a puffer fish after six pints of Stella.
Fancy a cleaner Facebook experience? Rolling back the years is easier than you might think.
Flatbook (née Facebook Flat) is a simple Chrome extension that tidies up Facebook’s increasingly muddled UI. Among other features, it nukes all the obnoxious ads and misguided suggestions that infringe on your time-wasting experience – you can even hide the right sidebar entirely for a super-streamlined look.
It’ll also let you replace the generally useless ‘Trending’ section with a customised content feed based on your actual interests – just in case the mystery woman spotted on a yacht with Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t your definition of earth shattering.
There’s embiggened icons on the left that let you jump to things like photos and your friend list, too, plus an easy toggle at the top of the screen to jump back to the standard ad-infested interface if you so choose.
You can check it out over on the Chrome Web Store, or as an alternative, Social Fixer is another cleansing utility with even more powerful functionality.
Know of any other cool tools? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
