• by Colin Kirkland , April 3, 2024

Continuing to undergo TikTok-ification, as so many major social-media platforms have done, Facebook has introduced a new full-screen video player that will facilitate a variety of video types intrinsic to the app, including short-form Reels, long-form videos and Live content, while also queuing up an array of relevant videos.

The video player, which defaults to a vertical screen similar to that of TikTok's home feed, can also be tilted into full-screen landscape mode for a different viewing experience.

Similar to TikTok, Facebook is also offering a slider at the bottom of the screen to help users to easily move through videos, with an added option to skip forward or backward by 10 seconds.

Meta says it will now be increasing the number of Reels shown on Facebook while recommending more relevant videos of all lengths on the video tab and in users' feeds.

Meta's investment in a video-heavy experience was driven by the growing popularity of TikTok and YouTube, and is similar to X's continued effort to increase video offerings on its platform (despite owner Elon Musk canceling the app's first new in-app show before it even aired).

By prioritizing video, the tech giant is likely trying to compete with more popular video-first platforms by increasing the time users spend on the platform.

With TikTok facing a potential ban in the U.S., Facebook may also be attempting to provide younger consumers -- many of whom use Facebook's Marketplace feature -- with a new hub for video consumption.

As a result of the new video player, advertising views and clicks could also increase on Facebook, as well as creators’ watch time, view-counts and reach.

The video player is rolling out to iOS and Android devices in the U.S. and Canada before expanding globally in upcoming months.