Get more out of Facebook

Love it or loathe it, it’s hard to avoid Facebook. Even if you didn’t rush to join when it first started making the news, the chances are that by now curiosity has got the better of you - or that you have simply been pestered into it by friends or family.

You may not realise, though, that there is more to the site than just browsing status updates and sharing photos. Whether you are a seasoned sharer or a network newcomer, we will show you how to get more from the world’s biggest social network.

Find a friend
While searching for friends and family on Facebook normally works well, it’s quicker to add many friends by using the site’s Find Friends tool to look for people with whom you are already in touch on other sites.

To do this, log into Facebook and visit the Facebook Find Friends section. At the bottom of the Find Friends page, there will be a list of people you might know, based on your friends’ connections. If you already have a few friends, this will contain many useful suggestions.

Facebook can also search through any contacts you may have on other websites and services, such as Hotmail and Skype. Just click the relevant Find Friends link and you will be prompted to log on to the service to provide permission.

After a quick check, Facebook will list any people with whom you are not already friends - and offer the option to add them individually or all at once.

Organise friends into lists
If you have many friends on Facebook, organising them into lists can help you keep track of them. Lists enable you to group people according to shared interests or where you met them.

Visit the Facebook Friends page and click the ‘Create a list’ button: this pops up a window listing your contacts. Type in a useful name for the list, such as ‘school friends’, ‘family’ or ‘mountain-bikers’, and scroll down, clicking in turn on each person you want to add.

 

Once you have finished, click the Create List button. With one or more lists created, these will become available elsewhere in Facebook. When you address a new message, for example, you will be able to select a list - saving time.

Keeping lists of friends up to date will ensure all relevant parties are included when announcing news or making plans, without having to type in every name. To edit or delete a list, return to the Friends page and click on the list name in the right-hand pane.