As of yesterday, Facebook has introduced a new feature allowing users to upload videos in comments and as a reply to posts.
Facebook allows video replies
Facebook is continually adding new features, and the latest was unveiled yesterday. Users can upload videos into their comments or replies on posts. The feature can also be used for status updates.
The feature was first presented at the 50th Hackathon, and after some further modifications has now been rolled out globally. It is available on both Android and iOS platforms as well as the web version of Facebook. It was “no small feat to add support across interfaces and within two heavy traffic services, like comments and videos,” explained a Facebook engineer, Bob Baldwin.
Baldwin continued, on his blog, “we wanted to enable more engaging and immersive conversations. This adds to the suite of multimedia features within comments including: links, photos, stickers, emoji, and starting today video.”
The videos can be used in reply to posts on people and pages and also events and groups pages and to upload just click the camera icon next to the comment field.
Video, the next frontier
Video is becoming an increasingly important part of internet traffic and this move is part of Facebooks attempts to get more users watching videos on its own platform, challenging the other players in the online video sector like Snapchat and Periscope.
Live streaming was added in January and a dedicated tab for videos was introduced in April. In March Facebook bought Masquerade, a video filter app, stating this would “enhance the Facebook video experience.”
360-degree photos
Video posting in comments is not the only new feature introduced by the social network behemoth this week. The platform can now support 360-degree photos which can be uploaded in their full glory.
On a smartphone, all you need to do is tilt your phone to see all angles of a picture, on a desktop it requires scrolling. The pictures can also be enjoyed through the medium of virtual reality.
The future is bright, it’s also a moving image and for the early adopters out there, it may be in 3D too.
