Facebook just flipped the switch on live streaming on its iOS app.
The social network is expanding its live streaming capabilities to all iOS users in the U.S. The company began experimenting with live video last year, but Thursday's update marks the first time Facebook has made the feature widely available.
The new feature, which Facebook calls “Live,” now appears in the “update status” menu next to the check-in pin that lets you share your location. Live videos on Facebook work in a similar way to Periscope broadcasts: you can start a live stream with a short description, and while you’re live, people can comment directly in real time. When you’re done, you have the option to save the video and share it to your timeline.
Additionally, you can subscribe to a person or Page's live videos so you can get a notification every time a new broadcast starts. Facebook's Vadim Lavrusik said the company is working to bring the features to Android users "soon" and to the rest of the world "in the coming weeks."
The company began experimenting with live video in August, but the feature was limited to people using Mentions, Facebook's app for celebrities and other public figures.
Facebook has been refocusing its efforts around video over the past year, and bringing live streaming to everyone could help the social network see even greater engagement with the feature. According to the company, users already watch over 3 billion videos a day — a number that will likely only grow as the social network makes more videos, including live streams.
