Facebook showing live videos in trending topics with new video search coming to mobile

Facebook isn’t done making it easier for you to find live videos on the social network, both on desktop and on mobile. The company announced today that it has updated its search capability to help you discover when someone is broadcasting live. Facebook Live videos that become popular will be listed under the site’s trending topics, and the company is building out a dedicated search experience for its mobile app.

This week, the company launched new features for Facebook Live, including the ability to broadcast right into Groups and Events, and added filters and Reactions. It also debuted a “Facebook Live Map” on desktop that gives people the opportunity to discover livestreams around the world, as well as a dedicated place on Facebook’s mobile app.

As the company continues to double down on its video efforts, it’s looking to Live videos as a great opportunity — but that could be ruined if people can’t discover broadcasts they’ll find interesting. The inclusion of Live videos in trending topics certainly highlights what’s broadly interesting, especially a livestream put on by a celebrity or centered around a major event such as the Republican National Convention, the Olympics, or global protests.

Facebook already sends you a notification when someone you’re connected to or follow broadcasts — and now this notification will highlight what else millions of people may be interested in, extending a video’s reach. The company says a new indicator will appear to let you know when a “relevant Live video is available for a Trending topic.” A “small handful” of Live videos will appear in this area for now.

For mobile, Facebook plans on launching a place dedicated to just featuring Live videos. There will be a search component, but not everyone will have it right away. However, the company explains that you’ll just have to type a few keywords into the search bar at the top of the screen and you’ll see videos that Facebook thinks matter to you. Only public videos and those that have been shared with you will be displayed.

In a way, this capability really formalizes Facebook’s video efforts: It offers a centralized place where you can see a library of videos you’re interested in or have recorded yourself. This puts YouTube squarely in Facebook’s sights, since you can also explore different channels such as recipes from chefs or beauty tutorials — all in a push to encourage original content on Facebook.

Updated on 5:13 p.m. on Friday: This post has been updated to clarify that Facebook’s Live video search component hasn’t been received by everyone yet. In addition, it will display public videos and those that have been shared with you.