• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, December 22, 2015

But there’s nothing altruistic about Facebook’s decision to support Apple’s Live Photos feature, which is available to owners of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus phones.

Despite the name, Live Photos actually lets users capture a few seconds of video, including audio -- and we know Facebook wants nothing more than for people to be creating, sharing, and streaming more video. As such, the social giant is jumping at the chance to support Live Photos in News Feed.

Mobile video has emerged as a top revenue driver for Facebook. In June, in fact, video ads captured their highest share of Facebook ad spend ever (22%) as observed by Nanigans. The social giant is therefore doing everything possible to make sure users keep streaming and sharing.

Combined with the virtual reality investments, that’s the driving force behind the company’s 360-degee video efforts. This summer, meanwhile, Facebook also began testing a “Watch Later” button on select desktop videos.

Regardless of Facebook’s motivations, the move is a nice Christmas present for Apple. Facebook’s decision comes on the heels of Tumblr announcing support for Live Photos, and now it seems inevitable that Instagram will soon follow suit. 

And, because Android is being left out in the cold, the Facebook pact will likely help Apple sell more iPhones.