Facebook is quite determined to give its users a better way of communication than texting. Since video is the social networking giant’s current obsession, it is introducing instant video to its Messaging platform today. The popular messaging platform already has a video calling feature; now instant video will compliment the existing text communications.
Making chats more fun
Instant video is all about quick visuals. The latest version of the Messenger app for Android and iOS lets users add videos to their chats by pressing the new video icon located in Messenger’s conversation threads. When the user presses the icon, it activates the smartphone’s camera and allows them to capture and share a live video instantly with the recipient, explains Digital Trends.
The video stream will start with the sound off (as most Facebook users are accustomed to watching videos on mute). A user can activate the audio by pressing the speaker icon. The user can use both the rear and front cameras of their device, and their friends can join the fun as well by responding with their own video streams.
The best thing about this new feature is that it lets the user do all these things without leaving the text conversation. The video plays at the top right of the display rather than compelling the user to ditch one format for the other. This means that the user can still access their keyboard to continue their text chat, the report notes.
Facebook wants advertisers to improve their sites
Facebook also recently announced that if an advertiser’s website is slow, its ads will not show up often on the platform. Last year, Google also tweaked its algorithms to make mobile-friendly sites appear in a better way on its search engine.
The worldwide and mobile webs are getting slower every year, according to Jason Goldberg, vice president of commerce and content at digital agency Razorfish. Indicating things like Plugins, redirects, and Javascript, Goldberg says that pages are getting fancier and bigger with more features.
Debbie Williamson, a principal analyst for market research firm eMarketer, says that Facebook compelling advertisers to make better mobile sites creates a circle. Users are less irritated when they click on ads when mobile sites are faster, so they are more likely to use the platform, which in turns allows the tech giant to make more money, says Wired.
