Facebook introduces 360 photos to your newsfeed

Facebook Inc on Thursday launched a feature that allows users to upload photos with 360-degree views. Making the announcement with a Facebook post, Zuckerberg wrote “These are similar to 360 videos – you can tilt your phone and feel like you’re actually there.” “The big difference with 360 photos is you can take them with your phone. Just take a panorama or use a 360 camera app, then post it to Facebook and we’ll take care of the rest.” Assures Zuckerberg. Apart from photos taken from 360-degree cameras, panoramic photos taken on a mobile phone can be converted to a 360-degree view on the newsfeed, the company said on Thursday. A photograph was posted along with the announcement. A 360 photo of Manhattan taken from the top of One World Trace Center was used. The photograph was shot by Michael Franz and Jonathan D. Woods for TIME magazine. “You can also check them out in virtual reality for a fully immersive experience” Zuckerberg wrote. 360 compatible photos can be viewed in virtual reality on Samsung Gear VR- compatible phones. A button on the top left corner of the photo is labelled “View in VR.” Clicking on that button and inserting your phone into a Gear VR headset enables you to view your photo in virtual reality. Facebook rolled out a similar service for video last September. With inputs from Reuters