Facebook has introduced a visually “richer”, mobile device-oriented news feed, in the most significant change to date to the social network’s most recognisable feature.

The changes to the news feed are designed to keep users active and interacting online. They are also intended to appeal to advertisers, as Facebook battles Google Inc for internet market share.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg singled out the feature as in need of a make-over in January, when the company introduced “graph search” to address inadequacies in allowing users to trawl for information across the world’s largest social network.

The changes include bigger photos, sorting by topics and a more consistent design across devices. The upgrade to Facebook’s main stream of photo, text and video updates will be available to a limited audience initially. The company said it is also redesigning advertising that accompanies the flow of information, making it “richer” and more “immersive”. The stock, which rallied on the news, has declined 28 per cent since the company went public in May at $38 a share.

– (Reuters Bloomberg)