Facebook is introducing a new feature for Facebook Live that will let viewers chat in private with a group of friends during a broadcast, along with other new interactive video features, it announced today.
The new feature, dubbed Facebook Live with Friends, will let two or more friends huddle together in private to comment on a Live video away from the throng of public viewers and commenters.
Facebook users will be able to invite both friends already watching, or friends they think might want to tune in, to join a private chat during a Live broadcast. Anyone in the group can hop back into the public conversation any time, if they like, and all members of the conversation can continue chatting via the Messenger app when the video ends.
Live with Friends is currently being tested on the Facebook mobile app in multiple countries, and Facebook says a wider rollout is planned this summer.
The social media platform is also planning to roll out a new feature called Live With, which it says will let you and friends “hang out together”, even if you’re not in the same place. This lets you and a friend broadcast create a joint Live broadcast, with your video feeds side by side in either portrait or landscape mode.
Much like the Live with Friends feature, you’ll be able to invite a friend into your own live video, or even tap a commenter from the feed below to bring them into your broadcast.
Related: How to control your Facebook Privacy settings
Are you more likely to interact with Facebook Live videos when the new Friends feature rolls out? Share you thoughts 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.