Back in September, Apple introduced the world to Live Photos, a new feature supported by its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus smartphones that capture 1.5 seconds video and audio both before and after a full-resolution still image is snapped.
Now, Apple wasn’t the first company to release a feature like this – not by a longshot – but with Apple’s ubiquity and comparatively un-fragmented platform, it’s easy to see why a company like Facebook is working on implementing Live Photos support in its iOS app.
A new report from 9to5Mac says Facebook is following Tumblr’s lead by adding Live Photos support to its iOS app – a massive win for an interactive image format that has been around, but failed many times before.
Currently, the support is said to be limited, with only certain users receiving the ability to properly view Live Photos in Facebook’s app.
You’ll know you’ve been included on the testing when you notice a small, round Live Photos icon in the corner of applicable images that show up on your newsfeed. Once you tap the icon, the image will come to life, playing both the video and audio captured before and after the still image.
For those who don’t have the feature implemented yet, the still image will be able to be seen, but won’t contain the audio-visual experience.
This comes as a major victory for Apple, considering Facebook has roughly 1.55 billion monthly active users—having such a large distribution channel for the image format will ensure it won’t die nearly as fast as those before it.
Furthermore, with Facebook adding Live Photos support, it’s likely Instagram users won’t have too long to wait to share and view Live Photos as well.
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