Facebook is finally letting people turn off live video notifications

By Digiday • April 25, 2016 •

No longer will you get a push notification every time a publisher you follow on Facebook live streams a lame stunt — unless you want to. The social network is now letting people turn off notifications for live video this week.

The new option, which Digiday first confirmed in March Facebook was developing, is tucked away in the Settings menu under the Notifications tab. Pictures of the new button began recently circulating on Twitter:

looks like you can now turn off all facebook live notifications. go to settings – notifications – live videos. pic.twitter.com/cgqLguXFTt

— Teresa Hammerl (@colazioneAroma) April 21, 2016

The option is gradually rolling out and will be available to every user soon.

Until now, Facebook hasn’t been subtle. The site has been pushing people hard to watch live video, usually bombarding people’s Notifications tab with alerts that the brands and publishers they follow were utilizing the new function. This lead to complaints:

Why is Facebook sending me notifications when someone’s live?

— Ralu (@RaLUFC) April 24, 2016

Me waiting for Facebook to realize that I don’t need/want notifications about live videos pic.twitter.com/BI8kO1s9ZH

— Brian (@BriNott) April 20, 2016

Getting Facebook notifications every time a publications goes live is going to be the thing that makes me delete my account.

— Cory Barker (@corybarker) April 20, 2016

Despite the new button, Facebook isn’t easing up on its live video ambitions as it was the focal point of its F8 developer conference two weeks ago. The move, as some are speculating, could signal that Facebook is ready to roll out its video-only tab on mobile that makes videos harder to miss and easier to organize.