Life

360-Degree Photos Are Coming To Facebook

by Megan Grant

First video profile pictures, then chat bots, and now one of the world's most popular social media platforms is adding another spectacular new feature: Facebook 360-degree photos are thisclose to coming to your newsfeed, bringing the game of virtual reality and interactivity to the platform even more than it already does. Facebook already allows for 360-degree videos, and the photos will operate quite similarly. To change the view, you just drag your finger or cursor around the screen, or simply hold your phone at a different angle. Facebook will accept images taken with Rioch's Theta S camera, or you can just take a panoramic shot on your smartphone.

The news is exciting to Facebook users who aren't able to utilize the 360-degree video option, since it isn't really the easiest thing in the world. You need a 360-degree camera to shoot that kind of video, so it is largely big companies like ABC and sports teams dominating that arena. The average Joe can post a 360-degree photo, though, using the aforementioned panorama technique. And while you can view the images through Gear VR, your smartphone will do.

For those of you out there who hate it when content auto-plays on your newsfeed, fret not: The 360-degree images will show as still photos until you move them yourself.

Pssst! Check out our podcast, The Chat Room, for talk about all things Internet.

If there was any doubt that Facebook wants to jump on the virtual reality bandwagon (hard to ignore already, given their connection to the Oculus Rift), this should squash it. Adding 360-degree photos promises to provide an even more immersive, interactive Facebook experience, allowing just about anyone with smartphone capabilities to join in on the fun. While no specific release date has been announced yet, you can expect the change to arrive in the coming weeks.