Every iPhone User Can Now Broadcast Live Video on Facebook
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. Facebook's move comes just after the Twitter-owned Periscope added the capability for GoPro owners to livestream via their device.