Facebook launches vertical-first video player to compete with TikTok

Facebook is bringing out a new video player that fills up the whole screen.

It\’s simpler and works the same for all kinds of videos, whether they\’re short, long, or live. This new player will start in the U.S. and Canada first. It makes watching and sharing videos easier.

The player will show videos in vertical mode by default and suggest what to watch next, no matter the length or type of video.

The length of time people watch movies, the number of views they get, and the number of people who see them could all change because of this change. More people watching videos on Facebook could make them stay longer, see more ads, and click on more of them.

It also helps Facebook compete with other video sites like YouTube and TikTok, which suggest videos based on algorithms, by suggesting a wider range of video types.

Facebook will show better suggestions for videos not just inside the player, but also in the Feed and Video tab. They\’ll show more Reels too, because people like short videos.

The new player will have more features, like full-screen mode for horizontal videos and a slider to skip parts in longer videos. Users can also tap on the video for more options, like pausing or moving forward or backward by 10 seconds.

Facebook\’s new video player will show videos in vertical mode by default, similar to TikTok. However, users can switch to full-screen mode for horizontal videos if they want. TikTok has also tried horizontal and longer videos, aiming to compete with YouTube and others. Facebook chose vertical videos because more people watch videos on their phones now.

Even though young people haven\’t been as interested in Facebook lately, some are starting to use it more. They\’re even using old features like the \”poke\” to say hello. Facebook\’s video player change might be timed well because some U.S. leaders are thinking about banning TikTok. This could make more people watch videos on Facebook and other platforms.

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The new video player will start in the U.S. and Canada on iPhones and Androids first, then spread to other countries later.

Having a better video experience might make younger people pay more attention to Facebook.

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