Global Launch of Facebook’s “Find Wi-Fi” Service Now Available on iOS and Android

In an appreciable initiative to keep users connected, Facebook has unveiled its “Find Wi-Fi” service. This service, available for both iOS and Android, has been rolled out globally and aims to provide users with information about free Wi-Fi hotspots in various locations around the world.

Facebook, in a blog post earlier today, explains that “Find Wi-Fi helps you locate available Wi-Fi hotspots nearby that businesses have shared with Facebook from their Page. The intent here is to enable users to swiftly map the nearest connections when their data connection is precarious or weak.”

To utilize this service, users just have to tap on the “More” tab within the Facebook app and scroll down to “Find Wi-Fi”. This will display any free or public Wi-Fi services in the vicinity. However, it’s worthy to note that businesses opt-in to share their Wi-Fi information with Facebook. Hence, you’ll only see networks that businesses have knowingly shared on their Facebook Page. This implies that if you’re within proximity of a public Wi-Fi service – say the one at Alausa Park in Lagos, and they have shared their network publicly, it ought to be visible to you upon checking.

By using the service, users implicitly agree to turn on their Location History, this ensures they are getting the most localized results and their Activity Log is updated accordingly.

While this service can be seen as proficuous, users need to be wary of the potential risks. Public Wi-Fi networks can pose certain security threats if your information is not being transmitted over a secure socket layer (SSL) connection. Always ensure to check the network’s security before connecting.