Facebook introduced an experimental, suggestions-based video tab to its Android app, with the new element currently only being available in India, some users of the most popular social network on the planet reported on Friday. It’s currently unclear whether the change debuted via a client-side update or server-side switch, though most users of the Facebook Android app in India should now be able to access the new video section of the service. The tab itself is of the endless variety, presenting users with recommendations of various clips they may be interested in watching. The section can be accessed by tapping the new video icon located between the Friends and Notifications shortcuts in the app’s top navigation bar, as can be seen in the screenshot beneath this writing.
The videos that Facebook is recommending in the new tab are a mix of content posted by people and Pages you follow, as well as clips uploaded by your friends. Apart from the main user interface that presents you with all types of content at once, you can also opt to filter your results by genres by using one of the circular icons placed beneath the app’s navigation bar. The buttons essentially serve as shortcuts to Facebook videos belonging to categories like sports, animals, and general entertainment, meaning their effects cannot be combined in a manner that’s comparable to Google Search filters. It’s currently unclear whether the Menlo Park, California-based social media giant is planning to expand on this functionality in the future, but more details on the matter may be available shortly.
The latest change is yet another step in the company’s endeavors to improve its video offerings and launch a platform that could rival other services like YouTube. The latter’s recommendation algorithms may have inspired the newly introduced tab seeing how the thereof doesn’t always prioritize latest clips and instead makes suggestions based on one’s friend list, interests, and browsing history, meaning it’s possible to use the new video section in the Facebook app to discover videos that are weeks or even months old, which is similar to how YouTube’s recommendations work. An update on Facebook’s video-related endeavors is expected to follow later this year.