Facebook 'testing' in-app internal search engine

Social networking website Facebook is testing an internal search engine for its mobile app that will help users find websites and articles to add to their status updates without logging into Google.

Alongside features to add photos or locations, some iPhone (iOS) users are seeing a new "Add A Link" option, TechCrunch reported.

Once you feed a query, Facebook will show a list of matching website links you may like to share. It also allows you to preview what is on those websites and let you select one to add it to your status with a caption.

The "Add A Link" button could get users sharing more news and other publisher-made content.

The trial, currently available to a small group in the US, would let users avoid Google or searching through Facebook 's News Feed to find a link to share.

As on March 31, Facebook has 1.44 billion monthly active users.