X Announces Improvements to iOS Live Video Playback

X continues to refine its video options, this time via a new update for its live video player on iOS, which makes better use of the full screen display.

As you can see in this example, the updated live player is more centered, and gives the related chat more focus, while also presenting your various playback options (Airplay, background playback, mini player) on-screen.

Here’s a comparison of the current live format on iOS (left) and the new layout:

It looks a lot better, while the improved comment display will enable more engagement during live streams.

X has been working to improve its live-streaming options, as part of its broader video push. It’s testing out new buttons to make it easier to start a live stream, new elements to improve game streaming in the app, integrations with third-party video streaming platforms, a dedicated video tab, and more.

It’s also experimenting with improved live-stream discovery, by highlighting in-progress streams in the Spaces bar at the top of the app.

With vertical video becoming a much bigger focus, and X looking to re-frame itself as a video first platform, live-streams present a significant opportunity for the app, because while a heap of Twitter challengers have arisen, seeking to capitalize on the unrest at the app, X remains the platform of choice for following along with live events in real-time.

Which makes live-streaming a key component.

Twitter was never able to fully capitalize on this, but given the focus on the app during major happenings, it makes sense that X should look to highlight important live-streams where it can.

The challenge then is moderating the right streams to highlight, while filtering out the junk.

Video live streaming has had various false starts as the next big tech trend, and they’ve all fallen flat for one key reason: Ensuring a compelling live stream experience for viewers, at all times, is hard.

Tech entrepreneur Shaan Puri noted this in explaining the demise of his once popular live-stream platform Blab:

As per Puri:

“Of our 3.9 million total users, only 10% came back on a regular basis. Why? Because most live streams aren’t interesting enough to justify people stopping what they are doing to watch your broadcast. The struggle with livestreaming is that we need to show you something awesome, that’s being made right now.”

Clubhouse experienced the same, making compelling live content is tough, and few people can do it consistently. So when there’s no major event or discussion happening, what do the platforms show, in order to keep people coming back?

That’s the challenge that X is now facing, as it looks to get more people glued to its video feed.

An updated player is an important step, and X should be able to make this a more compelling element of its product.