After being forced to cancel last year’s F8 conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook has today announced that it will be holding its developer showcase event in 2021, though in virtual form and via a slightly different format to what we’ve seen in the past.

As explained by Facebook:

“We’re excited to introduce a new event format, F8 Refresh. Our virtual stage will be open to developers across the world and live-streamed on our Facebook for Developers page on June 2nd.”

The ‘Refresh’ event will see Facebook’s team showcase its latest projects and new tools across its various apps, while Facebook will also provide more in-depth insight into its work on VR, AR and other new tech tools. In addition, the new format will enable even more developers, outside of Facebook, to showcase how they’re also utilizing Facebook’s tools to develop new processes and tools. 

Among the various projects on show, we’ll likely get more insight into Facebook’s coming AR glasses, along with its rumored smartwatch product, while it could also see Facebook reveal new, next-level advances that’ll further expand the utility of its various tools.

F8 Refresh will also feature technical rundowns of Facebook products, along with demos and panels with internal experts. In the past, its F8 conferences have been where Facebook has revealed various major updates, including business tools, video enhancements, Messenger group calls, WhatsApp business options, etc.

The annual F8 event has been a key source of insight into Facebook’s various, and ever-expanding, set of projects, and this new format, while virtual, will likely still be a key source of info on where Facebook is focusing, and what we can expect from the platform in the months and years ahead.

It’ll be interesting to see what Zuck and Co have in store.

You can sign up here to be notified when F8 Refresh registration opens, and to receive event updates.