Facebook is issuing a few updates to Live to make it a more immersive experience and help you avoid the trolls.
First up, streamers can now go live in full-screen mode, which gives them a bit more room to monitor what viewers are seeing. On iOS, streamers can broadcast in either portrait or landscape, though Android is oddly limited to portrait mode to start, with full-screen is coming “later this summer.” Rotation is hard.
Second, users and publishers can now live stream for up to four hours per session. Facebook says the update is a response to both users and publishers wanting longer sessions – perhaps to see more watermelons being exploded with rubber bands.
Finally, and probably most importantly, both streamers and viewers can now hide reactions and comments on live videos.
While those interactive elements are often part of what makes live-streaming fun, it’s a welcome move after users complained about seeing reaction emoji and troll comments flying around on screen on hard-hitting videos. Plus, it’s just nice if you want to keep your video clutter-free.
The update is trickling out to users starting today and will roll out more broadly on iOS and Android “in the coming weeks.”
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