MenuTab for Facebook for Mac

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on September 23, 2012

MenuTab for Facebook eliminates the need for another tab in the browser by providing widgetlike access to the popular social network. Its uncluttered interface is similar to Facebook's iOS app and will be familiar to those who own an iPhone. Its handy features such as alerts and notifications make it a useful app -- if we ignore some of the bugs -- for anyone who likes prompt reactions on social media.

Facebook for iPhone users will be greeted by a familiar interface when they log in to MenuTab for Facebook on their Mac. We can say that if you leave the window at its default size, it'll be similar to playing on your iPhone. Its notification options are handy, and there are two choices: sound or visual notification. We found the custom refresh rate useful as well. However, there are a couple of drawbacks too: although it sits quietly in the Menu bar, the app displays ads at the bottom, which can be eliminated only by an in-app purchase. Users can eliminate ads in their browsers by using different free ad blocker add-ons.

We liked the fact that MenuTab makes Facebook tools available: users can update their status, upload a photo, or check in, just as on an iPhone. For non-iOS users, the interface is very intuitive; the icons give clear hints what command you've hit, so the learning curve is very favorable. What we couldn't understand was why as soon as we chose to upload an image, the interface suddenly changed to the browser-like Facebook view, so the small, 430-pixel-wide window could only capture a small part of the interface.

Overall, the app performed very well, and the default window is exactly what users need to browse the news feed. MenuTab is a useful little app that saves time for Facebook users when checking whether someone commented on their photo or status, yet the bugs can be annoying.