Facebook Tests Auto-Play News Feed Videos, But Advertisers Have To Wait

Facebook says it’s starting to test auto-playing videos in user News Feeds. But most brands, advertisers and marketers will have to wait for their videos to get this treatment.

The test is rolling out on mobile devices over the next few weeks. Videos will auto-play as the user scrolls through the News Feed — but they’ll play silently. Clicking on the video turns the audio on and switches the video to a full-screen view.

Advertisers won’t have their videos included in this test, at least in the beginning.

“At first, this feature will be limited to videos posted by individuals, musicians, and bands,” Facebook’s Kelly Myers writes. “We’re doing this to make sure we create the best possible experience. Over time, we’ll continue to explore how to bring this to marketers in the future.”

Here’s a video provided by Facebook that shows how the auto-play video test will work.

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About The Author

Matt McGee

Matt McGee joined Third Door Media as a writer/reporter/editor in September 2008. He served as Editor-In-Chief from January 2013 until his departure in July 2017. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee.