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  • Getting Started with Facebook

Facebook 101

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Getting Started with Facebook

Page 1

Introduction

Video: Getting Started with Facebook

Launch "Getting Started with Facebook" video!Watch the video (4:54). Need help?

If you're thinking about joining Facebook, this lesson will show you everything you need to get started. We'll explain some common Facebook terms and how to create a Facebook account. We'll also explore the Facebook Home page, Timeline, and Facebook for mobile devices.

Common Facebook terms

Friends? Likes? Status updates? If you're new to Facebook, there are a lot of terms and phrases that may seem a little confusing at first. Reviewing some of the most commonly used terms will give you a better understanding of how Facebook works and what to expect as you get started.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about some common terms on Facebook.

Notification

You'll receive a notification in an email message and on your Home page whenever someone interacts with you on Facebook.

For example, you'll be notified when someone adds you as a friend, likes or comments on something you've shared, or sends you a private message.

Friend

You can add people you know as friends on Facebook. Your friends will see the things you share, such as status updates or photos.

Friends will also be able to view your profile information and share things on your Timeline.

Status update

One of the most common things people share on Facebook are status updates—short, text-based posts that your friends can see and comment on.

You can also post other things, like photos, videos, links, and more. Your friends will be able to see your posts on their News feeds, and the things you share will also be posted to your Timeline.

Comment

Whenever your friends share on Facebook, you can leave a comment about their posts.

News feed

The News feed is a stream of updates from your friends and any Facebook Pages you follow. This is where You'll probably spend most of your time on Facebook, since it's where you can view and comment on what's happening with all of your friends.

Timeline

Also known as your profile page, the Timeline is where You'll share information about yourself on Facebook. For example, it's where You'll post your profile picture, share basic information about yourself, and more.

Whenever you share something on Facebook, it will appear on your Timeline, as well as your friends' News Feeds

Like

Whenever your friends share something on Facebook, you can choose to like the post. This is just a simple way of showing your friends that you enjoyed what they shared.

You can also like the Facebook Page for certain businesses and organizations to receive updates about them in your News Feed.

Tag

Friends can tag you in photos and posts they share on Facebook. Posts you're tagged in will appear on your Timeline.

Page 2

Creating a Facebook account

Before you can use Facebook, you must create an account. Creating a Facebook account is free. All you need to get started is an email address and a few minutes of your time.

To create a Facebook account:

  1. Navigate to www.facebook.com in your web browser.
  2. Under the words Sign Up, enter your personal information and desired password, then click Sign Up.
    screenshot of Facebook
  3. Now, you'll have the chance to find your first Facebook friends. To find friends using your email contacts, enter your email address and click Find Friends. This will give Facebook permission to access your email contacts list, so you may be required to sign in to your email account. You can also click Skip this step to add friends later.
    screenshot of Facebook
  4. If you entered your email address, Facebook will suggest friends for you based on your email contacts. Click Add Friend for anyone you want to add as a friend, then click Save & Continue.
    screenshot of Facebook
  5. If you want, you can now add information about your high school, college, location, and employer. Click Save & Continue when finished. Click Skip if you want to add this information later.
    screenshot of Facebook
  6. If you entered education and employment information, Facebook will suggest more friends. Click Add Friend for anyone you want to add as a friend, then click Save & Continue.
  7. If desired, you can now choose to like some of the most popular Facebook pages. Anything you like will automatically appear in your News Feed and on your Timeline. Click Save & Continue when finished. Click Skip if you prefer not to follow anything at this time.
    screenshot of Facebook
  8. If desired, you can now add a profile picture. Click Upload a Photo to select a file from your computer, or Take a Photo to take a new photo with your webcam. Click Skip if you're not ready to add a profile photo.
    screenshot of Facebook
  9. Once you're satisfied with your profile picture, click Save & Continue.
    screenshot of Facebook
  10. The Welcome to Facebook page will appear.
    screenshot of Facebook

Before you can access all of Facebook's features, you'll need to confirm your email address. To do this, sign in to your email account, open the confirmation message from Facebook, and click Confirm Your Account.

screenshot of Facebook
Page 3

Exploring Facebook

Once you create your account, you'll want to spend a little time becoming familiar with the different parts of Facebook, including the Home page and the Timeline.

The Home page

The Home page appears whenever you sign in to Facebook. The Home page displays your News Feed, which shows the things your friends have shared on Facebook. The Home page also allows you to navigate to other parts of Facebook, such as your Timeline.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become more familiar with the Home page.

Timeline

You can click your name to view and edit your Timeline.

Recent Activity

Here, you'll be notified about recent activity on Facebook, including:

• Friend Requests: When someone requests that you add them as a friend

• Messages: When someone sends you a private message

• Notifications: When a friend interacts with you on Facebook, like commenting on your status, tagging you in a picture, or inviting you to an event.

Publisher

You'll use the Publisher to share things on Facebook. It's easy to share a status update, photos, links, and more.

The information you share in the Publisher will be posted on your News feed and Timeline, as well as your friends' News feeds.

Search Bar

You can use the search bar to search for friends, Facebook Pages, Apps, and more.

Menu

Here, you can navigate to other parts of Facebook, such as your upcoming events, photos, groups, apps, and more.

Trending Stories

This feature shows you what other people are posting about on Facebook. Just click a story to see more posts about it.

Chat

You can chat with other friends who are currently signed in to Facebook.

News Feed

The News Feed is a stream of posts and updates from your friends and the Facebook Pages you follow.

The Timeline

The Timeline (also called your profile page) is where you'll share information about yourself. Whenever you post an update, it appears right on your Timeline. Your friends can also share posts on your Timeline.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become more familiar with your Timeline.

Photos

From here, you can see photos you've shared and photos you've been tagged in by others.

About

From here, you can view and edit your profile information. This is where you'll share details about your work history, relationships, interests, and more.

The Timeline

The Timeline includes your posts and activity, as well as things that your friends have posted on your Timeline.

Publisher

Just like on the Home page, you'll use the Publisher to share things on Facebook. It's easy to share a status update, photos, links, and more.

The information you share in the Publisher will be posted here and on your friends' News feeds.

Quick Summary

Basic information you've shared about yourself will appear here.

Profile Picture

Your profile picture represents you across Facebook. This is the picture your friends will see when you share and comment on Facebook.

Cover Photo

Your Cover photo is a large picture that is only visible on your Timeline. A Cover photo doesn't have to be a picture of yourself. Instead, you might choose something that expresses your personality or interests.

Page 4

Facebook for mobile devices

Facebook makes it easy to connect on the go. In fact, more than 50 percent of Facebook users primarily access the site from a mobile device. Facebook offers an official mobile app on a variety of smartphones and tablets, including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

You can use the mobile app to do just about everything you can do in the desktop version of Facebook—post status updates and pictures, read stories and updates, and chat with friends. We'd like to give you a quick overview of the two most popular versions of the Facebook app: Facebook for iPhone and Facebook for Android. While the interface for these apps is somewhat different, you'll notice that each app gives you access to the same basic features.

If you don't have a smartphone, you may be able to access access a limited version of Facebook on your phone through the Facebook for Every Phone program or Facebook texts.

Facebook for iPhone

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Facebook for iPhone.

Notifications

Tap here to see your recent notifications.

Publisher

Tap here to share a status update, post a photo, or check in to a location.

News Feed

Swipe up to scroll through stories in your News feed. You can also Like, Comment on, or Share friends' posts.

Chat

Tap here to chat with available friends. You can also swipe left to access Chat.

Search Bar

Tap here to search for friends, events, and more.

Menu

Tap here to navigate to other parts of Facebook, such as your Timeline, events, groups, and more.

Return to News Feed

Tap here to return to the News feed at any time.

Facebook for Android

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Facebook for Android.

News feed

Swipe up to scroll through stories in your News feed. You can also Like, Comment on, or Share friends' posts.

Menu

Tap here (or swipe right) to navigate to other parts of Facebook, such as your Timeline, events, groups, and more.

Chat

Tap here to chat with available friends. You can also swipe left to access Chat.

Publisher

Tap here to share a status update, post a photo, or check in to a location.

Notifications

Tap here to see your notificatons.

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