How to Use Facebook Live Video: Live Stream from Your Phone

With competitors gasping, Facebook began allowing users to broadcast live video from their iPhone or Android device directly to Facebook streams. Here’s how to use the new Facebook Live Video.

Although live video streaming has been a regular feature of the Internet for the past few years, only recently has the average user become able to access live video. Apps like Periscope (acquired by Twitter before its launch) have made it easier than ever to share live video with other people, thanks to its almost complete integration with Twitter.

One of the biggest issues with live video streaming adoption up to this point has been sharing that stream with your audience. Whether that audience was thousands of Twitter followers or blog readers, or just a few friends and family, the best-case scenarios included embedding 3rd party services on your blog or website. Periscope works by integrating your Twitter followers into the app so you can start posting videos and your followers can watch.

What is Facebook Live Video?

Live Video is exactly what it sounds like. In addition to recording videos and uploading them to share on Facebook, the social networking giant now allows its users. broadcasting video, as is and uncensored, directly to the site.

Facebook’s Live Video functionality was developed both in response to threats like Periscope and as a way to keep users on the site longer. It was first released last year to a few select people – reads to famous people – to test how well the broadcast function works. Recently, however, Facebook has started rolling out this feature across the US to anyone using the Android or iPhone Facebook apps.

Now, with just your smartphone, you can record better quality videos than most news stations that broadcast only a few years ago, and post it to Facebook for free. It will appear in your stream as a regular Facebook post, and anyone who sees your regular Facebook posts will see the Live Video feed. If someone watches your stream they can click the subscribe button and they will get a notification to watch it on your next stream.

Users watching Live Video can interact with the broadcaster; they can post comments, Likes, Reactions and other emojis; These posts will appear on your phone and you can reply via broadcast if you wish.

How to Use Facebook Live Video

To post videos on Facebook right now compulsory use the phone app. There’s no way to get and stream any other video source, but it’s probably just a matter of time before Facebook opens it up to Wi-Fi-enabled cameras, GoPros, and other enthusiast devices.

When you’re ready to broadcast, open the Facebook app on your phone. Tap the Status button to update your Facebook status, just like you would with a regular text entry. At the bottom of your screen, look for a person’s icon in front of two concentric circles. This is the Live Video button. Tap it and you will see the normal update screen replaced with a full screen video.

Here Facebook gives you the chance to customize your post. You can’t do much right now – namely, you can’t put your own graphics or logos on the air (at least not yet, but almost certainly on the way) – but you can choose the audience, just like any Facebook post. Setting the first to “Only Me” is a great way to try out the Live Video feature without making an awkward broadcast to your friends and family; just be sure to change it back if you decide to use it again.

If your child has a phone or tablet with a Facebook account, you should take some time to learn about the Live Video features as many parents will be uncomfortable with their children’s live streaming. location sensitivePublic video to the Internet.

By default, video starts using your front camera when available; If you want to shoot something other than yourself, just tap the icon to switch to the rear camera. Facebook also asks you to describe your live video and gives you the opportunity to title your broadcast before it goes live. Below that is a big blue button that says “Go Live” – press that and your stream will start.

While broadcasting, you will see the number of live viewers as well as the names of your friends watching. Below the video, you’ll see a real-time stream of comments that people have written on the post below your post. If you come across trolls harassing your post, you can tap the profile picture of the offending comment where Facebook gives you the option to block the person from viewing it.

When you’re done, simply tap the Finish button; Facebook will stop recording and finish uploading the video, where it will live in your stream just like any other video upload. Currently, Facebook limits Live Video streams to a maximum of 30 minutes – at which point, it behaves just like when you hit the End button. You can also choose to save a video copy of your post to your local phone storage before closing the Facebook app.

How to Watch Facebook Live Video

If you’d rather watch someone stream on Facebook than act on your own reality show, that’s really easy. We mentioned earlier that Facebook treats live video just like any other video upload. If you’re using a browser or using the mobile app, you’ll see a post that says “So-and-so is live now.” Below that is a regular video, but if you click or click on it you will get the live stream.

Watch one of their live streams and click the Subscribe button to get notified when your loved ones or others you follow on Facebook broadcast. Every time they post after that point, you’ll receive a Facebook notification alerting you to the event.

Every point is a Facebook user broadcasting live on the internet.

Facebook also introduced a fun New feature called Live Map, currently available on desktop only (which means a web browser on your desktop or laptop). A planetary map with little blue dots appearing and disappearing. Every spot is a public broadcast – just click on one and you’re watching what a stranger is doing. It’s a really fun feature and a great way to experience someone else’s life for a while – but keep in mind that these videos have no filters, which means you might see something bothering you.