Thanks to Facebook we now get more birthday wishes than ever before, but somehow the generic ‘HBD’ well-wishes aren’t quite the same as receiving a text or a call from friends or family.
Now Facebook is looking to fix that with its new Birthday Cam tool, which enables users to send 15 second video clips to their pals scattered around the globe.
That’s long enough for a rendition of Happy Birthday, to down a pint in their honour, or to pack in all manner of insults regarding the advanced age of a compadre.
The iOS-only app (it’s coming to Android soon) will see video appear as an option on your friends’ pages when you’re fixing to write them a boring message.
You’ll just need to tap the notification to enter the capture screen. Once you’ve completed the recording, you can add birthday-themed text and frames to adorn your message.
Related: Facebook 360 videos explained
The new feature from Facebook (via TechCrunch) is a nice way to re-personalise the act of wishing someone a Happy Birthday. The idea came after the firm discovered 90 per cent of Happy Birthday wishes said just that.
Facebook’s knack for reminding us of our friends’ special days is handy, but there’s no satisfaction in someone ‘remembering’ to wish you a happy birthday these days. You just know someone logged onto Facebook, clicked the icon and wrote “Happy Birthday *insert name here* Hope you have a great day!” and moved on with their own.
Do your bit to make a friend feel loved again on their birthday… insult them humorously via the medium of video.
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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.
