Facebook has unveiled an app for the Samsung Gear VR that will allow users to view 360-degree content posted to the site in virtual reality (VR).
Last year, the company launched 360-degree content on its platform that lets users post pictures and videos from 360-enabled cameras. To view the content, viewers move their phone around or use their fingers to drag across the picture.
Now, the dedicated app lets users 'immerse' themselves in the content.
Brent Ayrey, Facebook product director, and Christopher Wong, a software engineer, said in a blog post that since the launch, there have been more than 25 million 360-degree photos and more than one million 360-degree videos posted to the site.
The app will allow users to watch this content using their VR headsets.
"When you're immersed in an experience, you can pull up more information about the photo or video and even react to, save or share it," explain Ayrey and Wong.
This means users will be able to continue all usual Facebook activity while in virtual reality.
When the app is opened in VR, four feeds will appear. The 'explore' tab lets users discover 360-degree content from media companies, organisations and individual creators. The 'following' tab shows content from the user's friends, the 'saved' tab shows stored content, and the 'timeline' tab shows the individual's own content.
The app is available for download from the Oculus app in any Gear VR-compatible device.
Supported Samsung devices include the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 5.
The Gear VR is powered by Oculus, an early VR start-up which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion.
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