Mark Zuckerberg Announces New Full Screen Video Player for Facebook

Facebook is launching a new mobile video player that will bring a new unique look and feel to the platform.

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will be launching an updated fullscreen video player on Facebook with a consistent design for all video lengths – whether they be Reels, longer videos, or Live videos. The upgraded player has new controls like fullscreen mode for horizontal videos, a slider to skip around in longer videos, and you can tap on the video to bring up additional options that let you pause and jump back or forward 10-seconds.

The updated, fullscreen video player will also have new controls which will roll out over the next few weeks, giving users the power to watch videos however you’d like.

PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 31: In this photo illustration the Facebook logo is seen on the screen of an iPhone on January 31, 2019 in Paris, France. The social media Facebook revealed to have paid teenagers to watch their activities on their phone. The company has offered Internet users to download the application “Facebook Research” to observe all their deeds and actions, against payment. Despite this, Facebook shares soar by 11% in the wake of the announcement of a net profit up 61% to $ 6.9 billion for the last quarter of 2018.(Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

When a users tap on a video anywhere on the Facebook app, they will now consistently see a fullscreen, vertically oriented video. Previously, depending on the length of the video or where you were watching, users have seen horizontal videos or videos that played in a Feed-like player.

While videos will appear vertical automatically, you’ll see a new fullscreen option on most horizontal videos that allows you to flip to watch in landscape view.

Outside the new player, users will be also now see more relevant video recommendations, regardless of length, on Feed and on the Video Tab. And while Facebook continues to be the home for all types of video, the platform will show even more Reels to meet the growing demand for this format.

On Facebook users can discover people, content, and experiences that help you explore and grow in your interests. Reels also continue to become more social with people re-sharing reels across our apps more than 2 billion times every day, doubling over the last six months.

As Reels continue to grow on Facebook, Meta is making them easier for users to discover across the app, including some updates to how they’re surfaced in Facebook Watch. Meta recently added Reels to the main navigation at the top of Facebook Watch to give users quick access to short-form video, making it easier to discover creators, trends, and content that matches interests. Additionally, when watching videos on Facebook, users have been recently able to scroll seamlessly between reels and long-form videos.