In the unending quest for immediacy, internet users are increasingly turning to live content – and Facebook is here to help.
Facebook has now stepped up its commitment to live video, giving all users the ability to live-stream content from the app.
The world-leading social network has added a dedicated Live tab on its Android and iOS apps. This new icon sits where the old Messenger icon once lived, and will direct users to live broadcasts of their friends and followed pages.
There’s also an option to search for broadcasts by category, so you can select what sort of video you’d like to watch live as it happens.
“Since launching Facebook Live last summer to public figures via our Mentions app and more recently to everyone in the US using our iOS and Android apps we’ve been surprised and delighted with how people are using live video to connect and interact with each other all over the world,” writes Fidji Simo, Product Management Director at Facebook.
Simo continues: “That’s why today we’re excited to announce new features for Facebook Live to give you more ways to discover, share, and interact with live video, and more ways to personalize your live broadcasts.”
When you share a live video, other users will be able to comment on what you’re doing through a rolling reaction feed.
Facebook has also added filters and customization tools so you can edit and draw on your live-streams a la Snapchat.
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The company is also updating its desktop website to include a live map that shows who is streaming at any given time, and where they are around the world. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Twitter’s Periscope has the exact same feature.
If you haven’t received the mobile update just yet, don’t panic. Facebook says that the changes are rolling out “over the coming weeks”.
What do you think of live-streaming? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
