14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook has just confirmed previous rumors pointing to a possible rollout of video ads in mobile and desktop applications. The company has announced that “a small number of people” will get to see the newly introduced video ads on their Facebook app.
The latest version of Facebook for Android has already been pushed on Google Play Store, but it might not be available for all users.
According to Facebook, this is a staged rollout, so it might take a while until all Android users will be able to update to the latest version.
The update introduces video ads in News Feed, so those who scroll through this section will notice video ads that will start playing automatically without sound. These video ads will stop playing if the user continues to scroll down through News Feed.
It is also worth mentioning that Facebook has confirmed that “all videos that begin playing as they appear on the screen will have been downloaded in advance when the device was connected to Wi-Fi – meaning this content will not consume data plans, even if you're not connected to Wi-Fi at the time of playback.”
Improvements to the newly added feature will be released in future updates, but for the time being, there are three types of video ads that will start playing in News Feed:
- Individuals (personal Facebook accounts or verified Pages; - Some Pages, like those of entertainers and sports organizations; - Summit Entertainment’s content for the new film Divergent.
Developers have also mentioned that Facebook users who wish to watch the entire video ad with sound should tap on it and the ad should play in full screen. The same goes for the desktop version.
You can now download Facebook for Android for free via Google Play store. Keep in mind that the application should be fully compatible with all devices running Android 2.1 and up.