Facebook today announced a dedicated segment of its popular iOS and Android app will find a renewed focus on both live and pre-recorded videos, taking the place of the Messenger button which sent users to that separate private messaging app. The social network's main focus in the new hub will be on starting up your own live videos, or joining in on another, but Facebook hopes the new feature makes it easier to find videos in general rather than just scrolling across them in a feed, which has been the case in the past.

Facebook Video update 1
The company launched Facebook Live late last summer through its Mentions app, only to a handful of celebrities, and is now ready to begin a widespread rollout in the proper Facebook app. Facebook has introduced a few new features in the launch, as well, including the ability to launch a live video within a specific Facebook Group or Event.

"Live in Groups" lets users begin a live video that will only notify the people in a specific group, "so you can go live in your family group, or share a workout plan in a fitness group." Alternatively, "Live in Events" means those part of an RSVP event can get exclusive live video from a performer ahead of the scheduled event, or a user could share video from a party to those who couldn't make it. The company is also introducing a new metric analyzing feature, aimed at publishers and media companies, that lets broadcasters parse the fluctuating statistics of viewers during a video with various charts and graphs.

With the new update, Facebook will accommodate the growing popularity of interactive comments and filters into its live videos, much like Periscope and Snapchat. When someone begins a live video, viewers can use the company's six new "Reactions," and post written comments, to show how they feel about a video, which will pop up and disappear Periscope-style at the bottom of the video. The initial rollout will introduce five "Live Filters," but future updates will implement the ability to doodle on your video in real-time, as well.

Facebook Video update
All of these video features will be found in the new hub on the central tab at the bottom of the Facebook app, where users will be able to invite friends to live videos, start their own broadcast, and browse video content posted by friends and pages they follow. The social network is going one step further on its desktop experience, with a new Facebook Live Map that gives an overall visual summation of Facebook Live broadcasts happening live around the world. The live video feature will be available in more than 60 countries after its first rollout.

No specifics were given regarding the size of the population of Facebook users who might see the update beginning today, but the company mentioned that the Live Video discovery tab will be available to all users on iOS and Android "over the coming weeks."

Top Rated Comments

ike1707 Avatar
118 months ago
I automatically read "facebook trolls out.." Hahahah
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iOSUser7 Avatar
118 months ago
Facebook should fix their freaking app that drain battery like nothing else instead of adding more and more features.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.4.1 With Bug Fixes

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There have been complaints about ...
iPhone 6s MacRumors YouTube

Apple Says These Products Are Now Vintage

Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:53 am PDT by
Apple today updated its vintage products list to add the 2018 Mac mini and the iPhone 6s, devices that will get more limited service and repairs now that they are considered vintage. The iPhone 6s initially launched in 2015, but Apple kept it around as a low-cost device until 2018, which is why it is only now being added to the vintage list. The iPhone 6s had Apple's A9 chip, and it was...