Facebook is taking on another YouTube app feature as they are now testing offline video in India which would allow users to download videos on the network to be viewed later with no Internet connection.
YouTube already has this feature on their mobile app for Android and iOS. Users can choose to download a video they like while they have a good Internet connection to be watched later offline even when they have no data or active Wi-Fi connection.
The social network giant is now testing that same feature for their Facebook app in India starting July 11. Facebook said that the goal of the new feature is to help people view videos with more convenience even if they do not have stable connections in their area.
Obviously, they just want to take on YouTube. One caveat in the Facebook feature is that only videos posted by personal accounts and Pages can be downloaded, Mashable has learned. The feature was announced to select publishers through an email and the blog post could be expected once the worldwide rollout would begin, which hasn't been announced yet.
The limitation for the video downloads could help prevent users from downloading full pirated copies of movies that are being proliferated on the social network. Facebook users have been sharing uploaded videos of full movies that have been just pirated from torrent sites.
Another useful feature to help prevent piracy is that the downloaded videos will only be stored and locked inside the Facebook app, PC Magazine reported. If publishers still want more control, they can just prohibit their videos from being downloaded from Facebook.
Facebook now has video advertisements, video comments and live streaming. The social network believes that video is the future and they are certainly taking steps to ensure that they have a foothold in the industry as it continues to bloom even more in the following months and years.
The Facebook offline video feature is not yet rolled out globally and India will be the first to test it out. If all goes well, the feature could make its way to all Facebook app users in Android and iOS across the globe.