Facebook Live videos now let you fast forward through the fluff

Facebook Live videos

I'm guilty of this: Starting a Facebook Live video replay, sitting through 1-2 minutes (or less) of it, then clicking away because it was boring/not funny/whatever.

Facebook knows there's many more people like me who don't watch Live videos simply because the beginning doesn't grab us, and we have no idea when it does get good. To keep us fixed to our screens, it wants to do something about this video exodus. The most exciting part? It actually can.

The company is rolling out an engagement graph for Live video replays, reports TechCrunch, that shows at what moments viewers of the live broadcast had the strongest reactions. The graph is based off of Live comments and reaction emojis, and will let replay viewers skip ahead to the parts that garnered the most audience feedback.

This way, folks who watch the video after-the-fact can fast forward to spots that are actually worth watching, rather than having to sit through the whole thing or guess when a reaction-worthy moment takes place.

Facebook Live video engagement graph

(Credit: TechCrunch)

According to Facebook's head of video Fidji Simo, about two-thirds of the time spent watching a Facebook Live video is when it's no longer, you know, live. Users, then, are missing the live broadcast, but still want to see a video that's saved to the site.

The graph should facilitate them doing so in a more meaningful way than what's currently on offer.

If the graph looks and sounds a little bit like SoundCloud's spikes and timed comments, Facebook's engagement graph is definitely in the same vein.

The new feature should give viewers more reason to watch Facebook Live videos - at least the most interesting parts of them - and help creators plan out their videos to include moments worth tuning into. While it sounds like an interesting new tool for professional creators to take advantage of, there's also plenty of potential for amateur broadcasters to learn how to incorporate engagement-worthy moments into their streams as well.

Some users will start to see the engagement graph starting today, while others will have to wait a bit longer. And just in case it wasn't clear, the graph will only appear on videos that are no longer live.

Michelle Fitzsimmons

Michelle was previously a news editor at TechRadar, leading consumer tech news and reviews. Michelle is now a Content Strategist at Facebook.  A versatile, highly effective content writer and skilled editor with a keen eye for detail, Michelle is a collaborative problem solver and covered everything from smartwatches and microprocessors to VR and self-driving cars.

Latest in Facebook
 Facebook social media app logo on log-in, sign-up registration page
How to delete all your Facebook posts
The Meta logo on a smartphone in front of the Facebook logo a little bit blurred in the background
Meta's new 'Link History' feature for the Facebook app isn't as protective of your data as it claims
The Meta Quest 3 in action
How much more data can Meta collect? Probably a lot, thanks to the Meta Quest 3 and Ray-Ban smart glasses
A laptop screen showing a Facebook Groups page
Scam alert: how to spot hoax posts in your Facebook Groups
Facebook
Facebook Messenger is losing a useful messaging feature soon
mother watching her daughter's activity online
Meta's new Facebook parental controls show social media still doesn't like responsibility
Latest in News
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Rennovations
Disney’s giving a classic Buzz Lightyear ride a tech overhaul – here's everything you need to know
Hisense U8 series TV on wall in living room
Hisense announces 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, with screen sizes up to 100 inches – and a surprising smart TV switch
Nintendo Music teaser art
Nintendo Music expands its library with songs from Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Tetris
Opera AI Tabs
Opera's new AI feature brings order to your browser tab chaos
An image of Pro-Ject's Flatten it closed and opened
Pro-Ject’s new vinyl flattener will fix any warped LPs you inadvertently buy on Record Store Day
The iPhone 16 Pro on a grey background
iPhone 17 Pro tipped to get 8K video recording – but I want these 3 video features instead