Facebook tests live broadcast feature

Facebook has started testing a new way to stream live video on its platform, kicking off with a small percentage of people in the US on iPhones.

‘Live’ will allow users to see connections – as well as public figures – in real time within the news feed and will also feature a subscribe button.

“To share live video, tap on Update Status and then select the Live Video icon,” Facebook explained in a blog post.

“You can write a quick description and choose the audience that you want to share with before going live. During your broadcast, you’ll see the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are tuning in, and a real-time stream of comments.

“When you end your broadcast, it will be saved on your Timeline like any other video, which you can then delete or keep for your friends to watch later.”

Facebook project managers Vadim Lavrusik and Thai Tran said that during the build process they needed to reconsider the process of sharing from mobile devices.

“We are currently piloting a new design with a few people on iPhone and Android where they can now tap ‘What’s on your mind?’ at the top of News Feed to see a drop down menu of all the different options they can share,” they said.

“This will allow us to include new sharing features in the future.”