Facebook Doubling Down on Stories Format By Testing Ability to Post From Desktop

Facebook is testing a feature that will let users post stories on Mac and PC, in an effort to further make the ephemeral sharing feature stick on the platform. Once the test rolls out wide, Facebook users will be able to click an "Upload Photo" button to share pictures and videos to their story, or "Open Camera" to record a story with a webcam.

The test also includes "much more prominent placement" for stories on desktop, where they will now sit on top of the News Feed -- similar to their location on the iOS app -- instead of in the sidebar. TechCrunch reported that all of this amounts to a new effort in "doubling down" on the stories format, despite the fact that most users have responded critically to the addition, and its poor performance last year caused the company to slightly tweak the app's user interface in an attempt to boost usage.

While some normal users might remain hesitant to use stories, it's believed Facebook's introduction of stories onto its desktop website could lead to "brands, event promoters, and group admins" embracing the format more. For users that visit Facebook daily on the web, the company said that the site will remain easy to navigate.

“We are always working to ensure people can easily navigate and enjoy Facebook, regardless of how they connect,” a Facebook spokesperson tells me. “We are testing the option to create and share Stories from Facebook on desktop and are also testing moving the Stories tray from the top right corner to above News Feed, just like on mobile.” Previously you could only consume Stories on web that had to be created on mobile. For now, a small percentage of users will see this new posting ability and design.

Facebook's push for stories is also centered around the company's preparation to launch more augmented reality features in the future. With stories launching on the web, Facebook's 24-hour post sharing format will now be able to sync across its iOS and Android apps, desktop site, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, making it easier for users to share one story on multiple platforms.