Facebook launches 'Watch Together', will allow friends to binge shows together while apart
Facebook has partnered with celebrity fitness trainer Melissa Alcantara.
By AFP | Updated:
Agencies
Watch Together can be activated from a Messenger video call capable of handling up to eight people.
SAN FRANCISCO: Coronavirus lockdowns have led to a sharp increase in virtual watch parties as a way to get together with friends, and Facebook is getting in on the action.
The world's largest social network on Monday launched Watch Together, a free feature it is rolling out globally on its Messenger communication platform.
"Connecting through video has understandably become more important for our Messenger community in the past few months," Facebook product manager Nora Micheva said in a blog post.
"We created Watch Together to make spending quality time with friends and loved ones feel as close to an in-person experience as possible."
There are more than 150 million video calls a day on Messenger, and more than 200 million videos sent each day using the service, according to Micheva.
Watch Together is designed to let people enjoy videos simultaneously while chatting with friends on screen in a video call.
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"Whether it's watching a trending video, a movie, a sports highlight, a makeup tutorial, or a Facebook Watch original, the feature allows you to watch your friends' reactions at the same time," Micheva said.
For the launch, Facebook has partnered with celebrity fitness trainer Melissa Alcantara to create a series of workout videos.
Watch Together can be activated from a Messenger video call capable of handling up to eight people, or in virtual "rooms" that as many as 50 online friends can visit at the same time.
Facebook this year launched the virtual "rooms" feature, where friends can pop in for visits via online video as part of an effort to help users locked down during the pandemic.
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The social network has also made it possible for artists, teachers, creators and others to host paid events online as real-world gatherings have been thwarted by virus prevention measures.
New Look, Facebook Dating: Big Announcements From F8
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After a tumultuous 2018, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stressed on a privacy-focused social network at the Facebook F8 developer conference this year. In the keynote, Zuckerberg said that they are pushing hard on helping people to connect with close family and friends. He unveiled a revamped and redesigned version of Facebook, called the FB5 which aims at making navigation easier, improve the loading time and giving the user a cleaner appearance. The updated mobile app is rolling out now. The desktop version will be released in the next few months.
Along with changes to the core app, Facebook also announced updates to Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Oculus Quest and Rift S virtual reality headsets — and introduced a new feature, Facebook Dating.
Here's a look at all things new.
After a tumultuous 2018, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stressed on a privacy-focused social network at the Facebook F8 developer conference this year. In the keynote, Zuckerberg said that they a..
Read More
The app's redesign has been the most prominent ever-since the social network's launch. The new look rolls-out in the US today, and for the rest of the world in the coming weeks. The redesign on mobile has been happening in stages, it has already begun on both iOS and Android. The desktop redesign will begin testing in the next few months, which will update the web design to look and feel more modern and fresh, similar to the mobile app.
The app's redesign has been the most prominent ever-since the social network's launch. The new look rolls-out in the US today, and for the rest of the world in the coming weeks. The redesign on mobil..
Read More
With private messaging as one of the fastest growing areas of online communication, the company debuted a desktop version of the app. Previously, you could use Messenger from a web browser, but couldn’t use certain features on the platform like group calling. Facebook is also testing a 'group watch' feature, where people can invite others to watch a video together in real time while messaging or on a video chat.
For businesses, it has created an automated system that allows customers to book an appointment through Messenger.
The company is also working on features that will allow Messenger users to message and call people on Instagram and WhatsApp.
With private messaging as one of the fastest growing areas of online communication, the company debuted a desktop version of the app. Previously, you could use Messenger from a web browser, but could..
Read More
Keeping in mind the theme for this year, 'the future is private', members within groups will be able to anonymously post questions and share information. For those seeking jobs, you will be able to message the employer and apply through the app. Gaming groups will get a chat feature so members can create threads about specific topics within a group. Facebook is working to downplay recommendations from groups known for spreading misinformation, and deleting groups that break the company’s community standards.
Keeping in mind the theme for this year, 'the future is private', members within groups will be able to anonymously post questions and share information. For those seeking jobs, you will be able to m..
Read More
Facebook Dating which was introduced at last year's F8, is now expanding to 14 more countries. It introduced a feature called 'Secret Crush', which does exactly what you’d expect. You can create a secret list of Facebook friends you’re attracted to, whether or not they have a dating profile. You will be lucky, if they are also using Secret Crush, and add you to their list, Facebook will notify the two of you that there’s a match.
Facebook Dating which was introduced at last year's F8, is now expanding to 14 more countries. It introduced a feature called 'Secret Crush', which does exactly what you’d expect. You can create a se..
Read More
Photo sharing app Instagram is getting an update on its camera interface, adding a new 'Create Mode', which makes it easier to share content beyond traditional photos and videos, like quizzes. It is also expanding a feature that lets people buy products from inside the app, opening it to artists, athletes, and other creators in addition to companies. Shifting the focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get, the feature will get a trial run in Canada, and if it proves popular, it might be rolled out in other countries.
Photo sharing app Instagram is getting an update on its camera interface, adding a new 'Create Mode', which makes it easier to share content beyond traditional photos and videos, like quizzes. It is ..
Read More
Two new headsets that replace external tracking cameras with a much more user-friendly inside-out system, the Quest and Rift S both cost $399, and they’re shipping on May 21st in 22 countries. The Quest, a self-contained console is aimed at a mass market, and the Rift S is an incremental upgrade to the 2016 Oculus Rift.
Two new headsets that replace external tracking cameras with a much more user-friendly inside-out system, the Quest and Rift S both cost $399, and they’re shipping on May 21st in 22 countries. The Qu..
