Image via Tom Critchlow/Twitter
The new news-focused feeds scroll along the bottom. Image via Tom Critchlow/Twitter.

Facebook is testing a couple big news feed changes as the social network looks to provide more value for users.

In a test of a new set of feeds on mobile, users can switch to sections like “World & US News,” “Sports” and “Food.” The default feed is still the standard news feed, but users can swipe to other feeds if they are looking for more specific posts.

“People have told us they’d like options to see more stories on Facebook around specific topics they’re interested in,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “So we have been testing a few feeds for people to view more and different stories from people and Pages based on topic areas.”

Tom Critchlow, who spotted the test this morning, told Mashable that the feed includes both friends’ posts with links to outside articles as well as content from pages he doesn’t follow.

The move seems a little antithetical to recent reports that Facebook wants users to post more about themselves. The social network has seen a decline in the number of posts about day to day things, and a rise in posts that link out to other sites.

This update would put that content into its own, easily accessible feeds. It is unclear if posts with links will show up less in the standard news feed, but some people may elect to skip the standard feed altogether for a more news- or sports-focused option.

The sections are reminiscent of the Facebook Paper app, which provided alternate sets of feeds in addition to a whole new UI for surfing the social network. The company has been testing this version of separate feeds in the main app since late last year, but this is the first time we’ve seen this interface for navigating the feeds take over the bottom of the feed.

The company also appears to be rolling out an updated Marketplace tab in other versions of the mobile app as an extension of the test.

The Marketplace button replaces the Messenger button in the iOS app, which has migrated up beside the search bar in these tests. The UI update makes the existing Marketplace feature much more accessible on mobile and allows for quickly posting a picture of the object you’re selling to anyone around you.

“We are continuing to test the Marketplace experience to make it easier for people to buy and sell products locally on Facebook,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

The feature takes direct aim at Craigslist and Bellevue, Wash.-based OfferUp, providing an all-in-one solution for posting an item and coordinating prices and pickups. Users can punch in their zip code and how far they’re willing to travel and can see a collage of all available items. The search bar also works for searching just inside Marketplace while in the tab.

When a user finds an item they want, they can hit the “Contact seller” button and quickly send off a message. Future communication can take place in the app or in Messenger on the web.

Facebook even has its own payments integration it could one day build into the platform, chasing a recent move by OfferUp.

Right now, both features seem to be in the testing phase and haven’t rolled out to all users. But Facebook is obviously exploring new ways to engage users as personal posting is dropping off.

Update: Facebook got back to us with a comment about the Marketplace tab, which we’ve added to the post.

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