Facebook tests letting you rewind live videos as they stream

The social network is also rolling out tools for people broadcasting live, like making it simpler to launch a live video when you do it regularly.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter

Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.

Expertise Streaming video, film, television and music; virtual, augmented and mixed reality; deep fakes and synthetic media; content moderation and misinformation online Credentials

Three Folio Eddie award wins: 2018 science & technology writing (Cartoon bunnies are hacking your brain), 2021 analysis (Deepfakes' election threat isn't what you'd think) and 2022 culture article (Apple's CODA Takes You Into an Inner World of Sign)

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Joan E. Solsman

May 8, 2018 6:30 a.m. PT

Facebook is testing the ability to rewind a live stream in progress.
Jason Cipriani/CNET

Facebook is testing the ability for you to rewind live videos while they're still happening.

Viewers have requested the feature so they can rewatch or catch up on important moments in a live video, Facebook said on its media blog Tuesday. After a period of testing, Facebook said it would bring Live Rewind to users globally.

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02:53

YouTube, Facebook's main competitor for livestreaming videos posted by everyday users, has allowed viewers to rewind during a live video for years.

Facebook has prioritized video -- and particularly live video -- in its algorithm recipe for the top of your News Feed over the last two years. It's part of the company's bid to gobble up advertising dollars that are fleeing traditional television for alternatives online as ratings dwindle.

Also on Tuesday, Facebook announced it's rolling out other live video features for publishers.

It's adding a simplified setup for people who frequently broadcast live by offering persistent stream keys, which basically cuts down on the number of checklist items a publisher needs to go through to launch a live video. It's also allowing publishers to crosspost a live video across multiple pages, which aggregates views and interaction into one place.

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