Something else to like about Facebook: Social media network adds 360-degree photos

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published June 9, 2016

facebook releases 360 photos — Facebook

Virtual reality has become a reality for Facebook users. Today, the social media network announced the availability of 360-degree photos.

While the network added 360-degree video in September, the platform’s latest update now allows for 360-degree still shots. Photos taken with 360-degree cameras like the Ricoh Theta S, Samsung Gear 360, and LG 360 Cam are, of course, fair game, but users can also upload 360-degree photos shot with their smartphones.

Simply take a 360-degree panorama shot with a 360 app, Facebook product manager Andy Huang explains, and share the photo like you would any other image. Facebook will automatically convert the panorama to work within the news feed. Facebook users still need a dedicated 360-degree camera to shoot videos

“The big difference with 360 photos is you can take them with your phone,” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said in his announcement post. “Just take a panorama or use a 360 camera app, then post it to Facebook and we’ll take care of the rest.”

A compass icon on the right will differentiate a 360-degree photo from other still shots in the news feed. The VR stills can be viewed on a mobile device (with the app update released Thursday) in two different ways: by tapping and dragging the photo around or by moving the phone.

Of course, the 360-degree images can also be viewed with a pair of VR goggles. On compatible Samsung phones, for example, 360-degree content on Facebook will display with a “View in VR” button, which will essentially bookmark the content, then automatically display it when the phone is added to a Gear 360 headset.

Facebook shared that the 360-degree still photo was in the works just a few weeks ago. Today, users can view such photos with an app update. Facebook says it will be rolling out the ability for every user to upload their own 360-degree shots in the next few days

Topics

Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

Social Media

Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Computing

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Social Media

I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.