According to All Facebook, not only did Facebook’s latest redesign frustrate a lot of its users, but the new emphasis on the social network’s news feed has turned out to be a major headache for developers. Some of the most popular Facebook applications have seen a 15 to 25% decline in usage over the last few weeks. Causes, the number one Facebook application, saw a drop of 24% in monthly active users since the redesign went live, and a number of popular applications from developers like Slide, RockYou, and FamilyLink saw a similar decline.
On the other hand, applications like LivingSocial have clearly profited from the redesign, and while Causes has lost over 6 million active users over the last few weeks, the overall number of users of the top 50 applications has remained relatively stable.
Swimming with the Stream
There has, however, been a clear shift in the types of applications that are becoming more popular right now. The new emphasis on the stream is driving users to apps that are able to leverage the feed, while those apps that haven’t adapted to this new reality yet will find it increasingly hard to get any kind of critical mass on the service.
