Facebook Tests ‘Instant Videos’ For Reducing Data Usage

Facebook has begun testing a new feature called ‘Instant Videos’ that automatically downloads videos through the Facebook app when connected to Wi-Fi.

These videos can then be played back later without affecting data usage or when a reliable connection isn’t available.

Instant Videos are distinguished with a lightning bolt symbol, similar to Facebook’s existing Instant Articles feature that quickly loads articles within the Facebook app.

The feature was initially reported on by The Next Web’s Matt Navarra:

Facebook Instant Videos coming soon? ⚡️

h/t Devesh Logendran pic.twitter.com/rNZYkbeL2r

— Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) September 11, 2017

Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch that Instant Videos was currently being tested on a small percentage of Android users.

It isn’t currently clear what videos would be downloaded through Instant Videos.

Facebook could program the feature to download videos that appear in a user’s latest news feed, or content from the company’s new Watch streaming platform may also be prioritised.

It also isn’t currently known how much space the downloaded videos would take up, and whether settings would allow Instant Videos to only take up a certain amount of free space.