Facebook is piloting a feature that allows users to save videos to watch them offline later when there is no internet connectivity in a move that apes YouTube.

The functionality is being trialled in India as Facebook seeks to strengthen its position in a market with poor internet connectivity, according to Bloomberg.

Facebook has carried out the move after its Indian users complained about poor video experiences. The initiative is also designed to prevent excessive use of mobile data.

YouTube introduced its own offline video feature in 2014 to cater for India’s strong demand for video content.

Facebook is preparing itself for a future dominated by video, ranging from virtual reality content to live video.

Last month Facebook EMEA vice president Nicola Mendelsohn said the social network would probably be “all video” in five years.

Facebook’s video views have surged from one billion video views a day to eight billion daily views in a year.

The social network has 142 million users in India and its offline video feature will initially only allow original videos posted on personal Facebook accounts to be downloaded.

It is currently only being trialled with a small percentage of Indian users.

Facebook also launched a basic version of its app in India last year, while the company has recently met with controversy when its ‘Free Basics’ programme offering limited internet access was banned for contravening net neutrality rules.