Every iPhone User Can Now Broadcast Live Video on Facebook

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Jan 28, 2016 7:19 PM CUT

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Lisa Eadicicco

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Lisa Eadicicco

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Jan 28, 2016 7:19 PM CUT

All Facebook users with an iPhone can now stream live video over the platform, the company announced on Thursday. A similar update for Android users is coming soon.

Facebook initially began testing the feature with a limited number of users in December. It’s only available in the U.S. for now, but Facebook says the livestreaming function will roll out to the rest of the world “over the coming weeks.”

Facebook users can access the new feature by tapping the “Update Status” box at the top of their News Feed, which will reveal a new icon for live video. There’s an option to write a quick description and choose the audience the stream will be shared with before going live.

The number of a stream’s live viewers, the names of friends watching, and a real-time stream of comments will all be visible during the broadcast. These streams are also saved to a user’s Timeline just like any other video.

Facebook made it clear in its quarterly earnings call on Wednesday that video will be a priority in 2016.

“Video is an important part of the Facebook experience,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the call, revealing that more than 100 million hours of video are watched daily though the social network. He also said the company is “exploring” a dedicated place within Facebook just to watch video.

See Snapshots of Mark Zuckerberg’s Family

January 8, 2015. Doctor's visit -- time for vaccines!

January 8, 2015. Doctor's visit -- time for vaccines! Facebook

January 10, 2015. Happy 5th birthday to Beast! We're glad to see you're embracing your role watching over your little sister.

January 10, 2015. Happy 5th birthday to Beast! We're glad to see you're embracing your role watching over your little sister. Facebook

December 17, 2015 The force is strong with this one.

December 17, 2015 The force is strong with this one. Facebook

December 11, 2015. One more down, thousands to go.

December 11, 2015. One more down, thousands to go. Facebook

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December 10, 2015. My next book for A Year of Books is Quantum Physics for Babies! Just kidding. It's actually World Order by Henry Kissinger -- about foreign relations and how we can build peaceful relationships throughout the world. This is important for creating the world we all want for our children, and that's what I'm thinking about these days. I am loving reading to Max. Next year looks like it's going to be A Year of Children's Books! — reading to Max with Priscilla Chan.

December 10, 2015. My next book for A Year of Books is Quantum Physics for Babies! Just kidding. It's actually World Order by Henry Kissinger -- about foreign relations and how we can build peaceful relationships throughout the world. This is important for creating the world we all want for our children, and that's what I'm thinking about these days. I am loving reading to Max. Next year looks like it's going to be A Year of Children's Books! — reading to Max with Priscilla Chan. Facebook

December 8, 2015 Full of joy with little Max.

December 8, 2015 Full of joy with little Max. Facebook

November 30, 2015 With Max and Priscilla Chan.

November 30, 2015 With Max and Priscilla Chan. Facebook

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November 28, 2015 In the spirit of this holiday weekend, I want to share the most joyful photo of Beast jumping I've ever seen. Even after living with this guy for five years, seeing him bounce around still makes me smile. I hope your holiday weekend has been joyful too.

November 28, 2015 In the spirit of this holiday weekend, I want to share the most joyful photo of Beast jumping I've ever seen. Even after living with this guy for five years, seeing him bounce around still makes me smile. I hope your holiday weekend has been joyful too. Facebook

November 9, 2015 With Priscilla Chan, Ed Boyden and billionaire Yuri Milner.

November 9, 2015 With Priscilla Chan, Ed Boyden and billionaire Yuri Milner. Facebook

November 7, 2015 With Priscilla Chan at Zuckerberg San Francisco General.

November 7, 2015 With Priscilla Chan at Zuckerberg San Francisco General. Facebook

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November 7, 2015 With Priscilla Chan at Zuckerberg San Francisco General.

November 7, 2015 With Priscilla Chan at Zuckerberg San Francisco General. Facebook

November 5, 2015 This week Priscilla and I are spending time reflecting on some of the philanthropy work we've done recently and will do in the future in education, science, health and communities. We have two goals: First is unlocking human potential. Our children and the whole next generation have the potential to live much better lives than we do today -- as long as we make more long term investments in techn... See More — with Priscilla Chan.

November 5, 2015 This week Priscilla and I are spending time reflecting on some of the philanthropy work we've done recently and will do in the future in education, science, health and communities. We have two goals: First is unlocking human potential. Our children and the whole next generation have the potential to live much better lives than we do today -- as long as we make more long term investments in techn... See More — with Priscilla Chan. Facebook

October 31, 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice and our mop. My favorite family costume from Halloweens past. — with Priscilla Chan and Beast.

October 31, 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice and our mop. My favorite family costume from Halloweens past. — with Priscilla Chan and Beast. Facebook

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November 28, 2015 In the spirit of this holiday weekend, I want to share the most joyful photo of Beast jumping I've ever seen. Even after living with this guy for five years, seeing him bounce around still makes me smile. I hope your holiday weekend has been joyful too.

November 28, 2015 In the spirit of this holiday weekend, I want to share the most joyful photo of Beast jumping I've ever seen. Even after living with this guy for five years, seeing him bounce around still makes me smile. I hope your holiday weekend has been joyful too. Facebook

January 8, 2015. I hope your 2016 is happy, healthy and productive. As the world faces new challenges and opportunities, may we all find the courage to keep making progress and making all our days count.

January 8, 2015. I hope your 2016 is happy, healthy and productive. As the world faces new challenges and opportunities, may we all find the courage to keep making progress and making all our days count. Facebook

September 25, 2015 Priscilla and I are attending tonight’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Here’s a photo before we head to the White House. — with Priscilla Chan.

September 25, 2015 Priscilla and I are attending tonight’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Here’s a photo before we head to the White House. — with Priscilla Chan. Facebook

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September 25, 2015 Priscilla and I are attending tonight’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Here’s a photo before we head to the White House. — with Priscilla Chan.

September 25, 2015 Priscilla and I are attending tonight’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Here’s a photo before we head to the White House. — with Priscilla Chan. Facebook

July 31, 2015 Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we're expecting a baby girl! This will be a new chapter in our lives. We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world -- Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation. We want to share one experience to start. We've been trying to have a child for a couple of years and have had three miscarriages along the way. You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child. You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you -- as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own. In today's open and connected world, discussin

July 31, 2015 Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we're expecting a baby girl! This will be a new chapter in our lives. We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world -- Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation. We want to share one experience to start. We've been trying to have a child for a couple of years and have had three miscarriages along the way. You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child. You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you -- as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own. In today's open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn't distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope. When we started talking to our friends, we realized how frequently this happened -- that many people we knew had similar issues and that nearly all had healthy children after all. We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well. Our good news is that our pregnancy is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful. Cilla and our child are both healthy, I'm extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what's coming. In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up "like" with her hand, so I'm already convinced she takes after me. We're looking forward to welcoming her into the world and sharing more soon when she's ready to come out and meet everyone! — with Priscilla Chan. Facebook

May 10, 2015 Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in our community! You've taught us, inspired us, lost sleep caring for us and often worked multiple jobs supporting us. You've been our emotional rock in hard times and our source of encouragement to achieve more. You've shared your life with us. And today, we share our love and gratitude with you. Thank you for all you do. And to my mom: I can't express enough appreciation for your sacrifices, encouragement and support on this journey to connect the world. Happy Mother's Day. — with Edward Zuckerberg, Karen Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.

May 10, 2015 Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in our community! You've taught us, inspired us, lost sleep caring for us and often worked multiple jobs supporting us. You've been our emotional rock in hard times and our source of encouragement to achieve more. You've shared your life with us. And today, we share our love and gratitude with you. Thank you for all you do. And to my mom: I can't express enough appreciation for your sacrifices, encouragement and support on this journey to connect the world. Happy Mother's Day. — with Edward Zuckerberg, Karen Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. Facebook

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December 26, 2014 With Priscilla Chan.

December 26, 2014 With Priscilla Chan. Facebook

Facebook’s move comes just after the Twitter-owned Periscope added the capability for GoPro owners to livestream via their device.