Facebook Just Announced Some BIG Changes - Here’s What They Mean

Your Facebook News Feed is about to leap into the third dimension - with 360-degree videos where you can 'look around' inside films.

The new ‘360-degree’ films look half-way between video and videogame, and will work with the upcoming Oculus Rift 3D headset.

The videos are just one of a range of sweeping changes announced by the social network at its F8 developer conference yesterday - with Facebook sprucing up many areas of its service, from News Feed to Messenger.

Here’s what it all means...

Virtual Reality video in News Feed

Facebook showed off a spectacular demo where you could explore a seaside city using a mouse - opening up directly within the normal Facebook News Feed.

They'll leap to life using Facebook's own virtual-reality headset, CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised at a developer conference in California.

A demo showed how they could also work with a computer mouse. YouTube recently unveiled similar 360-degree videos, where users can ‘look around’ using their mouse on PC screens.

Zuckerberg promised that the videos would let users, 'Preview an immersive, 360-degree video experience in News Feed that lets you choose the viewing angle to explore your surroundings.'

The 360-degree videos can be created using an array of 24 cameras to film the world in 3D.

The Oculus Rift headset, owned by Facebook, has not yet launched, but costs £400 for a developer version.

Spruced-up Messenger

Facebook’s Messenger has remained relatively short on features for years - but the company will now let users share updates from apps (for instance, weather forecasts from the Weather Channel’s app), direct within Messenger.

The change - with 40 apps already updated to use Messenger - will allow users to share animated GIFs for the first time.

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Users will also be able to, for instance, order food direct within Messenger, and communicate with businesses.

‘One of the fastest growing and most important members of our family is Messenger," said Mr Zuckerberg.

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"Facebook used to be this single blue app and it did a lot of different things, now Facebook is a family of apps. Moving from being a single service to a family of apps is the biggest shift we've made in our strategy in helping connect people.

Messenger was launched in 2011, but remained optional for Facebook users, until July when the network forced all users to either stop messaging altogether or download the new app

The app topped Apple’s list of the most-downloaded free apps of the year in 2014 – with Snapchat in second place, and YouTube in third.

Better Facebook videos

Facebook’s video service has been popular - but so far, only WITHIN Facebook.

Users will now be able to embed and share Facebook videos anywhere, just like they can with YouTube videos.

Faster comments

Facebook comments will now update to the page in real time (previously, there was a short lag).
This could give Facebook discussions a rapid, Twitter-like feel.

You might soon be able to switch off your lights via Facebook

Facebook announced that it was to make it easier for developers to connect ‘Internet of Things’ devices to the social network.

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The phrase refers to connected gadgets which can be adjusted online - so in theory, you or your friends could switch your lights on and off, or a friend could even opt to make you a coffee via your Wi-Fi coffee machine, all within Facebook.