This article was published on October 20, 2016

Facebook brings 360 images and video to Instant Articles


Facebook brings 360 images and video to Instant Articles

Get ready for a lot more 360 videos in Facebook articles.

After introducing Instant Articles in May 2015 and 360 content in September of the same year, Facebook is bringing the two together. Starting today, any publisher can implement 360 content in their Instant Articles.

They work pretty much the same as on your News Feed: wave your phone around or tap and drag to explore. To be clear, instant articles only work on iOS and Android, but it’s a neat addition to add some interactive media to a lightweight publishing system. It’s also awfully convenient that Facebook recently added the ability set initial angles for 360 content too.

Instant articles have been shown to increase sharing because, well, they load instantly. but Facebook wants to make sure they’re not missing out on features either. The less likely you are to open a browser, the longer you stay on Facebook, and the more ad money Facebook makes off of you.

If you’re a publisher interesting in posting 360 content in instant articles, check out Facebook’s documentation here.

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