Meta just announced some updates coming to Facebook during the company’s IRL event in Austin. (Explore) We are testing the tab and adding a new video tab.
Start with the Explore tab. If you’ve read much about Instagram, you probably know how exactly this works. This tab contains “a variety of content tailored to your interests.”
Mehta said the algorithm is designed to deliver “content that’s not just entertaining, but helps you dig deeper into the things you’re interested in.” Here’s hoping all we get is content about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s wild traversal strategies. In any case, the new Explore tab is still in testing, so it may be a while before it’s widely rolled out.
The video tab has also received a major update to support Reels. All video content on Facebook will now be stored behind this tab. Content is streamed in a full-screen video player, allowing users to “seamlessly watch the best short-form, long-form, and live video in one experience.”
The updated video tab will begin rolling out to users in the “coming weeks.” The announcement was accompanied by the statistic that young people on Facebook spend about 60 percent of their time watching videos and Reels, so this is no doubt an indication of Meta’s efforts to capture the attention of these young people. This is an attempt.
I have news, Meta. My dad, who is not a young adult, also spends all his time watching videos and reels on Facebook. So we will all benefit from this expanded video tab.
