Facebook's New Birthday Stories Let Friends Share Fun Video Messages For Your Big Day
Facebook has always been a stellar resource for birthdays. Whether you're trying to remember how old your uncle is, or if you would rather write on someone's wall than call them (because talking on the phone is a hassle), it's a great way to stay up to date on the details of your friends' special days. Now, the social media site is adding a brand new feature that's totally going to up your birthday the game. If you haven't already heard about Facebook's new Birthday Stories Feature, it'll make any and all birthday celebrations even more special than they were before.
On the morning of Thursday, May 9, Facebook unveiled a totally new feature called Birthday Stories, and it's perfect for wishing the happiest of birthdays to your friends in the most personal way possible. According to the press release, anyone in someone's FB network can can add digital birthday cards, photos, or videos to a Birthday Story thread that's solely dedicated to whomever is celebrating their big day. All of the messages sent to the Birthday Story will be put together, creating an entire slideshow of "happy birthday" messages that are visual and interactive. The person celebrating their birthday can then share the Birthday Story publicly, or they can keep it for themselves. It's honestly a super cool way to send personal birthday wishes.
If you would like to add to someone else's Birthday Story, doing so is actually pretty simple. All you have to do is tap on your friend's birthday notification, according to the press release. You can also find the Birthday Story right at the top of your app in the Stories tray or by going to the person's FB profile page on your app. Then, you will record or upload a photo or video, or you can use one of Facebook's digital birthday cards to give your friend the birthday wish they deserve. It can even include a music sticker to jazz up your message, and when you're completely done, you can automatically add your wish to your friend's birthday story. Yes, it seriously is that easy. I'm truly shocked.
And if you're the one getting all the birthday love, you can choose to set your Birthday Story to public or private by toggling it on or off, and you can choose if it's viewable to everyone or just friends. To control your Birthday Story settings, you can tap the little settings wheel on the front of your Birthday Story, and there you can also make it so you approve each post before it's added to your Story. The settings will automatically be the same as your regular Story settings, so keep that in mind if you want to switch things up on your Birthday Story.
The Facebook Birthday Story capability will roll out on Thursday evening into Friday, May 10. If you don't have automatic updates on your phone, you'll want to make sure your Facebook app is updated so you can see the new feature.
In honor of Facebook's new Birthday Stories, the brand will also be partnering up with bakeries across the country to give away free treats on Friday, May 10, according to the press release. Yes, you heard that correctly, and the best part is that it doesn't even have to be your birthday. For more information, just check out their website, to see which bakeries will be participating near you. It's good for one treat per person, while supplies last, so I'd hop on that before you get too engrossed in the new Birthday Stories. In New York City, for example, they are to doing a giveaway at Flour Shop in SoHo. So, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be there.
Wishing your pals a happy birthday on Facebook will always be a big deal, and apparently, that concept is totally generational. One of the top 10 things millennials care about in regard to their birthday is seeing how many people write on their Facebook timeline. And now, your birthday celebrations on FB are going to be so much more personal. Whether you upload a pic to your friend's Birthday Story or want to post a full-on video, your pals will definitely appreciate the effort.
