Facebook iPad app stashed within Facebook iPhone app

It seems that the recursive nature of programming has also spilled over to the world of Facebook – as the iPad app for the social network has been revealed to be hidden inside, of all places, the Facebook iPhone app. It does make us wonder why Facebook has yet to develop an iPad app since the Apple tablet has done phenomenally well worldwide, and since they have already rolled out the iPhone app some time ago, why not do the same for the tablet? Guess the answer is out there somewhere, but if only someone wring get the real answer out from Facebook employees.

TechCrunch realized that the the code to Facebook’s iPad app was well hidden inside the code of Facebook’s iPhone app. The iPad app code was never there all the time, first debuting with the 3.4.4 update of the Facebook for iPhone app. As for TechCrunch’s MG Siegler, read what he has to say about it after the jump.

All of this is possible apparently thanks to a seemingly tiny update Facebook pushed yesterday to their iPhone app. Version 3.4.4 seemed like a small version that restored the “Send” button for comments and chat among a few other little things. Facebook may have even pushed it out in response to some backlash they had been getting about the app, as Financial Times covered a few days ago. Perhaps it was the rush to fix some of those issues that caused Facebook to push this version – which will clearly eventually be Universal Binary (meaning it will house both the iPhone and iPad versions of the app) – with the iPad elements inside. Whatever the case, the app is carrying a payload of much greater importance than some bug fixes.

He even ran the iPad app after installing it, and came away quite impressed to say the least. Perhaps the long wait is over? This apparent leak might just force Facebook’s hands to issue the iPad app sooner than expected.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Apple, Tablets
Tags: Facebook, ipad app