Earlier this year, Facebook introduced several updates regarding videos. Up until now, videos in Facebook News Feed would automatically play in mute unless users turned sound on. This new update enables videos to auto-play with the sound turned on.
From now on, Facebook users will be experiencing a difference in their, up until now, silent News Feed as Facebook has decided to enable sound on all videos. After testing sound on in News Feed and hearing positive feedback, it will be rolled out to all users. With this update, the sound fades in and out as you scroll through videos in News Feed, bringing those videos to life.
If you have the main volume level on your phone set to silent then videos won’t be audible at all. However, if you usually have your phone’s volume set to a normal level and do not want Facebook videos to sound while you are browsing your news feed, you can disable the function in the app’s settings. Just un-check the “News Feed Start With Sound” option. In addition to automatic audio playback, you can easily adjust the volume using the icon that is displayed on each video. Advertisers that have invested time and effort into “optimizing” their video for no-sound will surely find this a welcoming change.
Although this change brings mixed feelings to Facebook users, Facebook expects that this feature will surely make watching videos a richer and more engaging experience.
How do you feel about this update? This functionality is available with the newest versions of both iOS and Android apps.
