On Friday, Facebook announced that it is bringing back its ‘Live With’ feature for its Live platform, enabling two different people to participate in video broadcasts at the same time. This feature is particularly useful for creators who want to chat with a fan or with professionals who need to hold remote interviews now that quarantines are in place.
Video chats have grown in popularity amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, which are forcing many industries to change the way people engage with each other, conduct classes, hold meetings, and more. We’ve seen multiple recent Messenger updates made in light of this change, and now Facebook is back yet again with another, this one for Live.
The ‘Live With’ feature enables two different Facebook users to chat together in the same video session, both using their own webcams or smartphones, with viewers tuning in to watch both together. Facebook calls this a co-broadcasting feature, one that is initiated by one user who sends a participation invite to the second person.
Broadcast hosts are able to choose their guest using either a Facebook profile or a Facebook Page via the ‘Live’ icon found at the top of the News Feed. Within that, you’ll need to choose the ‘Live With’ icon that is now located at the bottom of the screen. You’ll be prompted to choose your guest — Facebook will send them an invite.
During the broadcast, Facebook says the hosts can add and remote guests in the stream; the guests also have the ability to leave whenever they want. Some users are seeing the feature already live on the service, but Facebook says that it will take a few days to get the feature out to everyone around the world.
