Facebook introduced Live 360 as a way to broadcast a 360-degree scene in real time, letting viewers look around as the stream unfolded. Meta announced global availability for all Facebook Profiles and Pages on March 29, 2017. That is a historical announcement, not confirmation that Live 360 or its camera integrations remain available today.
What Facebook Live 360 was
Live 360 combined Facebook Live broadcasting with 360-degree video. A special camera captured the surrounding scene, while people watching could choose which part of it to view. Unlike ordinary video, the audience could explore different directions during playback; they could not control the camera operator or change what the camera had recorded.
Facebook had begun rolling recorded 360-degree videos into News Feed on September 23, 2015. In that announcement, Facebook Engineering Director Maher Saba explained that special cameras record all 360 degrees of a scene at once, and viewers select their viewing angle while the video plays. On a computer, viewers could drag with a cursor; on mobile, they could drag with a finger or turn the device. Facebook’s 2015 announcement of 360 video describes that viewing experience.
When Live 360 arrived
Meta’s March 29, 2017 announcement says Live 360 had launched in December, without specifying a day. The announcement then said the feature was globally available to all Profiles and Pages. Meta described the experience as bringing together Facebook Live’s immediacy and 360 media’s immersive viewing, so people could watch and explore while an event was happening. Meta’s March 2017 announcement is in Spanish; its statement says, “Hoy estamos emocionados de anunciar que Live 360 está disponible globalmente a todos los Perfiles y Páginas” (“Today we’re excited to announce that Live 360 is available globally to all Profiles and Pages”).
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Cameras Meta listed as compatible in 2017
Meta’s March 2017 list named these cameras for Live 360. It is a dated compatibility snapshot, not a statement of current support.
| Category | Cameras named by Meta |
|---|---|
| Consumer models and brands | Samsung Gear 360 (2017), Giroptic IO, Insta360, and ALLie Camera |
| Professional options | Z Cam S1 and Nokia Ozo |
The announcement also described using a compatible 360 camera to broadcast and said the camera interface could handle login, privacy settings, a description, and viewing comments and reactions. It does not establish that these models or integrations work with current Facebook products, nor does it provide a basis for comparing their present-day prices, image quality, or availability.
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Is Facebook Live 360 still available?
The historical announcements establish what Facebook introduced and what Meta said was globally available in 2017. They do not establish whether Live 360 is available in 2026 or whether any of the listed cameras still integrate with Facebook. Check current Facebook or Meta product documentation before planning a broadcast or buying equipment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Surround 360 fits in
Facebook Surround 360 was a separate engineering project, not the consumer camera required for Live 360. In April 2016, Facebook described Surround 360 as a high-quality 3D-360 capture system and said it would open-source the camera design and stitching code. It provides background on Facebook’s camera work, but should not be confused with the third-party camera list Meta published for Live 360 in 2017. Facebook’s announcement of Surround 360 covers that project.
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- 360° video conferencing camera with built in ominidirectional microphone
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