Image: © Koshiro/Stock.adobe.com
The update lets users highlight if they want to see more or less of certain types of videos, while making it easier to switch from Reels to long-form content.
Meta is giving Facebook Reels an update, which includes personalisation controls to help users customise what they want to see.
Reels was released as Meta’s answer to TikTok’s popular video format, as the feature allows creators to record short video clips hands-free.
The new update gives Reels contextual labels, which explains to a user why they’re seeing certain videos pop up compared to others, such as a friend liking the same video.
Meta said the update is designed to help users find the Reels – shortform videos similar to TikTok’s popular format – that they’re the most interested in. Users can click a “show more” option on Reels they like to see more content that is similar.
Users can also select a “show less” option if they see a type of video they don’t want to see as often, giving the user more control over the Facebook video content they see.
To improve the ease that users can access these short-form videos, Reels are being added to Facebook Watch, the site’s video on demand service.
“We’ve added Reels to the main navigation at the top of Facebook Watch to give you quick access to short-form video, making it easier to discover creators, trends, and content that matches your interests,” Meta said in a blog post.
“Additionally, when watching videos on Facebook, you’ll now be able to scroll seamlessly between reels and long-form videos.”
Reels first launched on Instagram, another platform owned by Meta, in 2020, before being released on Facebook for US users.
In February 2022, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Reels had become the platform’s “fastest-growing content format by far”, which prompted Meta to make the feature available to everyone using Facebook globally.
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