Facebook Introduces Immersive 360-Degree View to Photos on iOS and Android Apps

Facebook is taking photo sharing to the next level with its upgrade to the iOS and Android apps. The social media giant is now supporting 360-degree photos, enhancing the user experience and the way photos are shared and viewed on the platform.

This exciting update was unveiled today by Facebook’s Product Manager, Andy Huang, in a [blog post](http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2016/06/introducing-360-photos-on-facebook/). Facebook has certainly come a long way from its inception when founder Mark Zuckerberg envisioned Facemash – a website for students to share and connect over photos. Since then, Facebook has continually developed its Photos feature, elevating it into a powerful tool that enables individuals and corporations to reach out to a wider audience. Ecommerce companies, especially, have benefited from this evolution, initially only being able to upload a single photo to a post, to now having the ability to share multiple photos linked to their websites.

Expanding on this functionality, Facebook has now introduced a feature that is being widely acclaimed across the digital landscape. For the first time ever, users can seamlessly share breathtaking 360-degree photos on Facebook. Whether taken as a panorama on a smartphone or captured using a 360-degree photo app or camera, these images can be posted on Facebook just like any other photo. From there, Facebook works its magic and transforms it into an immersive 360-degree photo that people can explore in much the same manner as they experience 360-degree videos on the platform.

To identify a 360-degree photo, look for the compass icon on the right-hand side of the photo. Starting to use this feature is easy – just tap and drag the photo or move your phone to explore a 360-degree photo on mobile. For web users, simply click and drag to explore.

At the recent F8 developers conference, Facebook had announced an open-source project called Surround 360. This initiative comprises a 17-camera array and web-based software to capture images in 360 degrees and render them automatically. There are also reports about Facebook planning a standalone camera app that would allow users to livestream.

How Do I Take 360 Photos?

– Capture a panorama on your iOS or Samsung Galaxy phone, or use a [360 photo app or 360 camera](https://facebook360.fb.com/360-photos).
– Open the Facebook app and share the photo as you would any other photo: tap the status tool from the top of your Timeline or News Feed, select Photo/Video, choose the photo you want to share, and tap Post.
– Once your