How Does Facebook Chat Work on the iTouch?

Print this articleApple's iPod touch is an touchscreen media player with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter. The iPod touch employs the "iOS" operating system, the same one found on both the iPhone and the iPad; this system allows it to run any of the literally thousands of applications Apple sells in its "App Store." The iPod touch application for "Facebook," for example, allows you to enjoy full use of Facebook features using a self-contained, mobile-optimized interface.

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The easiest means of accessing Facebook on an iPod touch is via the Facebook "App," available for free download via the App Store. The application provides an easy-to-use, intuitive interface for accessing Facebook, housing the different functions of Facebook on separate screens. Access Facebook Chat, for example, by tapping the "Chat" icon on the application's home screen. Alternatively, it's possible to access Facebook via the iPod touch's Safari Internet browser. However, since the browser doesn't support Java -- the technology which powers Facebook Chat -- it isn't possible to access chat this way.

Wireless Connection

In order to access Facebook Chat on your iPod touch, you must be connected to the Internet. Unlike the iPhone, which is always connected to the Internet thanks to its cellular data network, the iPod touch must be connected to a nearby wireless network in order to make use of web based applications. If you want to use Facebook Chat on your iPhone, obtain the password for a nearby wireless connection. Tap "Settings," then "Wi-Fi." Now, enter the name of the network. Enter the password and tap "Connect," to connect your device to the Internet.

Online Status and Alerts

When you sign in to Facebook Chat from your computer, the way you appear in your other friends' chat lists depends on whether you're actively using Facebook. Specifically, you appear as available -- denoted by a green circle -- if you're actively navigating Facebook, whereas a gray half-moon indicates that you're idle or away from Facebook altogether. Using the iPod touch, on the other hand, always results in your status being displayed as online, even if you're away from your device. The Facebook application sends you short, high-pitched tones to alert you of new messages, unless you've set your phone to "Silent."

New Facebook Messages

Facebook began the roll-out of a new, integrated message system in February 2011, one which fused "Facebook Chat," its traditional private messages and the new Facebook email address it began offering to users. As a result, when someone sends you a chat message, a copy is archive in your "Messages" folder, regardless of whether you're online to receive it. In terms of the iPod touch, this means you can access "Chat" via the "Messages" interface of the iPod touch Facebook app.

ReferencesFacebook Help Center: Mobile -- Facebook for iPhoneFacebook Help Center: What Features Can I Use on the Facebook Mobile Website?Read Next:

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