The Facebook app and its Messenger counterpart have been met with a
lot of criticism from users. Among the reviews, you'll find complaints
about permission settings and the lack of features in each app when
compared to the mobile Web UI.
As an alternative to these apps, a recent post on Lifehacker recommends
that you check out Tinfoil for Facebook. The developer, Daniel Velazco,
refers to this app as "a wrapper for Facebook's mobile site," but it's
much more useful than it sounds. Behind the scenes, Tinfoil creates a
sandbox for all of Facebook's cookies, storing them independently from
your normal browser cookies. This keeps your information from being
leaked and tracked across other websites. Here's how to get started: Step 1: Install
Tinfoil for Facebook slide-out menu. Step 2: Adjust the settings
Before using the app, you may want to tweak a few
settings. Slide out the menu on the right-hand side of the screen and
tap Preferences. Check the box next to Open links inside the app for
additional sandboxing of your cookies (this should probably be a
default). The rest of the settings are up to you: toggle the ability to
check-in, block images, force a specific version of the site to load, or
add a proxy.
Tinfoil for Android settings Step 3: Extra precautions
Lifehacker's post reminded readers that the Tinfoil sandbox only works
in one direction. If you're logged into other services (like your
Google account), Facebook can use the data in those cookies to track
your habits off its website. Ultimately this means that you'll need to
logout of other services before opening Tinfoil for Facebook.
Note: Some
users may have issues sharing photos through Tinfoil, but according to
the developer, this occurs on Facebook's end as a result of testing
features in waves.
