The Facebook video player has a vertical video view for all videos

Facebook is bringing much-awaited changes to its video player. Meta announced this in a blog post, stating that the Facebook video player is getting major updates, including new controls and a vertically oriented fullscreen experience for all video types.

Facebook’s new video player is suitable for all video lengths

Previously, Facebook had different formats for its video experience. When you played a reel or short video on Facebook, it would play in a fullscreen vertical format. However, longer videos would play in a horizontal or feed-like player, depending on the length of the video or where you were watching.

Now, Facebook is introducing a fullscreen video player that supports videos of all lengths in a fullscreen vertically oriented format. All you have to do is tap anywhere on the video, and the video player will automatically switch to a fullscreen vertically oriented format.

If a video is available in horizontal format, you will see a fullscreen option, which you can tap to watch the video in landscape view.

Facebook has also added new controls to the video player.

In addition to updating the video player with the fullscreen feature, Facebook has included new controls in the video player. This enhancement introduces a slider that allows you to navigate to specific parts of the video that you wish to watch. This will be similar to the YouTube feature that will use AI to navigate to specific parts of videos.

Additionally, you can tap anywhere on the video to get access to additional video control options such as pause, forward, and back. You can then press the forward or back button to advance the video by 10 seconds or rewind it, respectively.

Along with all these changes, Facebook has improved its video recommendation algorithm for videos of all lengths. This means that Facebook will suggest more relevant videos that it believes you will enjoy based on your previous video preferences and interests.

These updates are currently being rolled out on Facebook’s iOS and Android versions in the United States and Canada. The global release of these features is scheduled for the coming months.

Meta also mentioned in its blog that while you’ll find all types of videos on Facebook, it is prioritizing reels considering the increasing demand for this format. This means you’ll start receiving more reel recommendations than other video content on Facebook in the days to come.