On Facebook, it’s not easy to forget a friend’s birthday, thanks to the various notifications that are pushed in the user’s way ahead of or on the big day. However, “happy birthday” wishes could soon become less cursory, as Facebook appears to be trialing a new “birthday video” feature.
The Next Web has reported that some users of the social media site’s iOS app are now, when a friend’s birthday comes up, receiving a peculiar message that reads: “You can now take a birthday video to post on your friend’s Timeline.” After tapping the record button, a message lasting up to 20 seconds can be shot before the user can review it and then post it to their friend’s wall.
As 9to5Mac notes, it is clear that not every user of the app has been seeing this new feature recently, which suggests that Facebook is merely experimenting with the function before it decides whether to go ahead with a full rollout. It has previously been possible to mark friends’ birthdays with text, photos and links, but not video – despite cameras having been standard in iPhones and iPads for years.
Should the “birthday video” feature become permanent, we can imagine many of the app’s users embracing it to amusingly exuberant effect. Brace yourself if your own birthday is coming up soon…