Facebook rolls out Instant Articles for Android devices

Instant articles was launched in May with nine media outlets in the USA, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Facebook first launched Instant Articles on May for few users and in this October it launched fully on iOS and as a public beta for Android.

Here in the USA, the following publications are now utilizing Instant Articles: ABC News, Billboard, Billy Penn, Bleacher Report, Breitbart, Brit + Co, Business Insider, Bustle, BuzzFeed, CBS News, CBS Sports, Citylab, CNET, CNN, CNNMoney, ComicBook.Com, Complex, Conservative Tribune, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Cracked, Daily Dot, E!

Following on from the successful trial, the social network is now rolling out the tool to Android users of its app globally. And using the Instant Article format may hurt participating publishers’ brands, since their more distinctive web pages are replaced with a more templated article page.

One of the best things about the “Instant Articles” feature is that it is embedded on the users’ Newsfeed, and is not a separate app. About the advantages of the feature, Facebook said that when people can easily read articles on a mobile device, they are more likely to share the articles with their family and friends.

“We’re excited to announce that everyone who uses the Facebook for Android app can now read thousands of Instant Articles every day in News Feed from publishers worldwide”, said Michael Reckhow, product manager for Instant Articles at Facebook.

Instant Articles, which includes more than 350 publications, allows developers to quickly deliver articles to Facebook users right to their News Feed.

Some analysts have expressed concern that Facebook’s program and similar offerings from Google and others could mean media organizations lose control of their audiences and content.

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