It allows you to create a "digital scrapbook" of your entire life.
From the get-go, everything you've ever posted on Facebook will be a lot more visible.
You can feature important events in your life (like Britney has here), and you can also hide moments you don't want to share.
Timeline officially launches in a week—you have seven days to curate your Timeline, or else the whole thing is going live. You can get started today.
Here's what you need to know.
First, head to www.facebook.com/about/timeline to activate your Timeline.
Once you activate your Timeline, you'll be able to see how your Timeline will appear to others. Click "Publish Now," or take the next seven days to edit your Timeline and make sure it's just how yo want it.
Here's the brand new Timeline view. You can add a new "Cover" banner image to flaunt a photo you love.
Timeline is meant to be a collage of your entire life in images, links, posts, and more. Check out Mark Zuckerberg's timeline here: https://www.facebook.com/zuck
But don't worry, you can still click Photos on somebody's Timeline to see a grid of photos.
Pick a date in the right sidebar and you'll be immediately zapped to that point in your life. Pictures and popular updates you've posted get highlighted.
As you scroll down the Timeline, you'll notice that Facebook has plotted important events in your life.
Even all the way back to the very beginning! The pictures Facebook uses to represent these events is up to you.
Mark Zuckerberg was a baby once too.
As you go back through your Timeline, Facebook summarizes how many friends you made each year, and who you were tagged with the most.
As you dig deeper into your past, you'll need to narrow down your search. Using this toolbar, you can only view photos, new friendships, and to the right, "All Stories" versus "Highlights."
Mixed into the Timeline are boxes representing recently used apps. This one represents Steve Kovach's recent Spotify listening.
If you want to hide your ultimate frisbee team captain past, just click the pencil and "Hide From Timeline."
"Activity" lets you see everything you've ever done on Facebook in list form. Seriously.
Want to go back in time to add a milestone in your life? Click somewhere along the actual timeline itself to plug something in.
Inside the new Facebook, pay extra close attention to this menu. Whenever you post anything, make sure it's going to the right people.
The new status update window includes buttons to help you point out important events in your life. These events will be highlighted on your Timeline.
Want to lock up all your posts so only friends can see them? Click Privacy Settings in the top right corner of Facebook, then click "Manage Past Post Visibility."
Or you can "feature" pictures and posts you like.
Use Spotify but don't want others knowing about it? Click this.
Embarrassing picture? Click this.
Facebook
What happened to all the Interests you've pinned down over the years? They're right here.
The last thing you want to do is see how your Timeline looks to others. Click 'Views As," and then type a friend's name or click "Public."
The entire experience translates perfectly to a mobile device. Mobile Timeline is coming soon.
Ellis Hamburger is a former reporter for SAI:Tools at Business Insider. He wrote about Facebook, apps, and gadgets.He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010, where he founded Michigan's first technology blog.
