The Horror, The Horror: Auto-Playing Videos To Appear In Facebook's Mobile Apps
by Joe White
September 13, 2013
Facebook iOS app users will soon be confronted with auto-playing videos in their News Feed.
In a move echoing its launch of Instagram Video, Facebook announced that it's presently testing an auto-playing feature for News Feed videos "on mobile." Though Apple's iOS isn't explicitly highlighted as a confirmed platform, the example image used by Facebook (pictured above) indicates that the feature is set to arrive in the universal Facebook app, at least.
As explained in a post to Facebook's Newsroom blog:
Today we’re starting to test an easier way to watch videos on Facebook. Now when you see a video in News Feed, it comes to life and starts playing. Videos initially play silently, and if you want you can tap to play with sound in full screen. Scroll past if you don’t want to watch.Though such videos will initially come from "individuals, musicians, and bands," the social network adds that "over time, we’ll continue to explore how to bring this to marketers in the future." Starting as a limited test in the coming weeks, the feature is expected to reach more users over the course of the next few months. Here's hoping that as with the Facebook-owned Instagram app, however, auto-playing videos can be disabled in the Facebook app's settings. We'll keep you updated with further information as we receive it. In the meantime, see: Chipotle Scarecrow Lets You Learn More About Wholesome Food And Get A Free Burrito, Preorders Go Live For Apple's iPhone 5c: Here Are All The Details, and Microsoft: Trade In Your iPad, Get $200 Towards A Surface Tablet.