Just as they announced they would, Facebook has released a video app for the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. The app requires you to login to a Facebook account, and once you do, you’ll be able to watch videos your friends have shared, top videos, recommended videos, as well as videos you’ve uploaded yourself to the social network. Oddly though, the new app is only compatible with 2nd-gen Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices, but hopefully that will be resolved soon.
When you first launch the app you only have the option to login. This is notably different from the Twitter video app which doesn’t even have a login option and allows you to immediately start watching content. Once logged in, you’re presented with videos shared by your Facebook friends.
Scrolling down are sections for recommended videos, top live videos, and recently watched videos. The recently watched videos include ones watched across all of Facebook’s platforms, so you can start a video on a phone and finish it on your TV.
The video player itself has a surprising number of nice features. For starters, it has a smooth scrollable progress bar with thumbnail previews at every point. You can like the video or save it for later via the icons on the bottom left. Selecting the info icon brings up the text that accompanied the video when it was posted to Facebook, as well as the number of likes, comments, shares, and views. There is no way to view video comments, but you can see other videos posted by the same Facebook account by selecting the “view channel” button. The epsilon button on the bottom right brings up the option to hide the one video or all videos from a channel, tell Facebook you don’t like the video so you don’t see videos like it, and the option to report the video.
Pressing down while a video is paused will bring up a horizontally scrolling list of videos like the one being viewed. This is likely the best place to find content that interests you, since the recommended videos seem to be very hit and miss.
Videos you save will appear in a new row on the app’s main screen. You can save videos through Facebook’s website or mobile apps and they will appear within the Fire TV app as well. Videos you’ve uploaded yourself to Facebook can be accessed by selecting the profile icon in the upper right of the main screen.
The Facebook video app is a bit clunky and buggy at times, but it’s a decent first version with several nice features. If you spend a lot of time on Facebook, this app should be a nice addition to your Fire TV. Be sure to like the AFTVnews Facebook page to bring everything back full circle.
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Not on Amazon UK yet.
Could someone post the APK? As I am in the UK and can’t download it.
Any idea if this will include Facebook Live or is this the standard mobile app optimized for FTV use? I read ALOT of negative reviews on Amazon about the existing Facebook app and how it is SEVERAL versions out of date.
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Seems geared towards “top” and/or “trending” videos. Needs a way to find a particular video you actually want to watch.
What nonsense is what amazon is doing, now it turns out that nothing new comes to the first generation maybe we have to bounce if with that they want to force me to buy the new they are doing it wrong because if they continue like this I will do the change for Another brand, I am very disenchanted with the attitude they are taking is a lack of respect for older users.
Oh, that ain’t just Amazon. The reason I bought the original Fire TV in the first place was Roku came out with the brand new Roku 3, without a fiber optic output like my original Roku had. I didn’t have an HDMI surround receiver at the time (and wasn’t about to upgrade just because I got a newer Roku), so I got a Fire TV instead.
I will admit, this Facebook Video for Fire TV app is actually pretty decent for a first start.
It’s rather annoying to find videos you want.
I want a search box and list of people I follow so I can go directly to person/page/group and see all videos they’ve done just like you would on Facebook.com.
Right now I have to hope a person I follow’s video shows then play it and go to “View Channel” up above.
But for a first version it’s not completely horrible. Must better than Twitter’s Video app which has extremely similar issues.
How do I get the Facebook app on to my firestick
It has a lot to do with patience, just remember you have the upper hand, just work with it.
Ilogged into Facebook some how I got my cousin on it instead of me now I don’t know how to take her off and me on
I actually want to see comments on one of the live video streams I watch, and there is an option to enable them but they still don’t show even when its turned on.
Laliga matches are without the volume help me someone to get the audio on laliga live matches
I’m trying to access a group that’s private that does fitness videos. As it’s a group you pay for, watch is disabled their end. I’d it is possible to access these videos?
Is it only Facebook watch that’s accessible on the firestick? Am I able to go on normal Facebook? I’m not very technically minded! Sorry!
If the app doesn’t work for you you might try the web browser (Silk or Firefox) available on firestick to sign into your FB account then your group. You will need to load Silk browser (or Firefox) onto your stick, then go from there. Hopefully that will work for you if the FB app doesn’t.