I just downloaded the News.me app for iPhone and during the setup process, I was asked to add my Twitter and/or Facebook accounts. Many apps have this similar type of social networking integration like Zite, Flipboard, and Instragram to name a few.
What I dread about this particular step is whether I will be prompted to enter my login credentials for the respective services.
Allow me to elaborate.
iOS 5.0 brought system-wide Twitter integration to your iOS device. For instance, you can tweet Safari links and tweet photos you’ve taken. In the Settings app, you can also add your Twitter accounts, which would allow any application you download to obtain authorization to access your accounts instantly with a simple click of a button. No login required.
Especially since I use 1Password Pro and have an obscenely long password for every known account I create, switching back and forth to copy/paste passwords is time-consuming and takes too many steps.
With Facebook, it’s a slightly different picture. iOS 5.0 does not include any comparable Twitter-level Facebook integration, so instead, apps would have to rely on whether or not you have the official Facebook app on your device.
When connecting your Facebook account to News.me, the app switches to your Facebook app, and delivers you the familiar permissions dialog box. No manual entry of your login credentials are asked; all it takes is a simple confirmation button. From there, News.me switches you right back into the app and completes the Facebook connection process.
Total number of clicks? I estimate about 5-8.
That is pretty awesome. Nice work, News.me team!