When Facebook first started rolling out auto-play videos on timelines, it mercifully muted the footage by default. That changes going forward, though, as videos will now automatically play with the sound turned on.
Facebook Engineering Manager Alex Li and Product Manager Dana Sittler announced the change in a Tuesday blog post, writing that "as people watch more video on phones, they've come to expect sound when the volume on their device is turned on."
The social network has been testing this new "sound on" feature, and received "positive feedback" about it, Li and Sittler added. So it's slowly rolling out to more people.
New Ways to Watch Facebook Video Posted by Facebook on Monday, February 13, 2017
Until now, videos in news feeds played silently until a user tapped to listen. Now, sound will automatically start playing, unless your phone is set to silent. "With this update, sound fades in and out as you scroll through videos in news feed, bringing those videos to life," Li and Sittler wrote. Just don't get caught scrolling Facebook in the middle of class or a meeting.
Related
- 19 Hidden Facebook Features Only Power Users Know19 Hidden Facebook Features Only Power Users Know
Rest assured that there is a way to disable this feature from the Settings menu. Just head over to the Settings, navigate to the Videos section, and disable the option "Videos in News Feed Start with Sound."
Also today, Facebook confirmed plans to launch a new video app for TV, as was rumored earlier this month. The app will roll out soon to app stores for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Smart TV, with support for more platforms expected in the future.
"Our video app for TV is a new way to enjoy Facebook videos on a bigger screen," Li and Sittler wrote. "With the app, you can watch videos shared by friends or Pages you follow, top live videos from around the world, and recommended videos based on your interests." You can also watch videos you've saved, already watched, shared, or uploaded.