Facebook is adding new features to its Live video capabilities by adding reactions and filters.
The updates on iOS and Android mean users will soon be able to share live video to a specific group or event.
Live originally launched last year in Facebook’s Mentions app and was released to users in the US in January and outside America in February.
A new video discovery tab will replace the Messenger symbol currently at the bottom of the iOS and Android apps.
Messenger notifications will move to the top of Facebook’s mobile apps near the search box.
Users will now be able to invite a friend to watch a video with them and will be able to see what the other person is saying.
In a move that’s similar to Periscope, Facebook ‘reactions’ will also be coming to Live and will be displayed on top of the video, scrolling across the screen.
Some of the new features in the latest round of updates are more important than others, according to Will Cathcart, Facebook’s vice president of product management.
Will says that, for example, “if people ‘love’ something, you’ll see a flurry of hearts in the video”.
“We’ve introduced this so everyone can see all the reactions from the crowd at the same time,” he tells Newsbeat.
And if you’re watching video later – after the live session is over – then you’ll see comments appear over time, as they happened.
“This will help people to make sense of things like why the broadcaster answered a question,” Will explains.
Whoever is making the video will now be able to choose from five filters like black and white and sepia, and will soon be able to doodle drawings on top of their videos too (both features on Instagram and Snapchat).
There will be a button for Live in the Facebook app, where you’ll be able to see popular videos as well as videos from friends and celebrities you follow and things you’re interested in.
A Facebook Live map page on Facebook’s desktop website will display bubbles around the broadcasts showing you how many people are watching the video.
Source: BBC
