Facebook Live is a feature on Facebook that allows users to broadcast live video streams to their followers or friends. When going live on Facebook, the video is shown on your profile and also posted on your followers’ News Feeds so anyone who follows you can watch.
By default, Facebook Live videos are public and can be viewed by anyone. However, there are some options to limit who can see your live broadcasts. In this article, we’ll look at whether or not you can make Facebook Live streams invitation-only and restrict them to certain friends or followers.
Can You Make Facebook Live Private?
Facebook Live does not currently have a built-in option to make streams completely private so that only people you invite can view them. The only privacy settings available are:
– Public – Anyone can view your live video
– Friends – Only your friends on Facebook can view your live video
– Followers – Only people who follow your profile can view your live video
So you cannot limit a Facebook Live stream to a specific customized list of friends or followers. It’s all or nothing – either everyone can watch, or only your friends/followers can tune in.
Using Facebook Groups for Selective Viewing
While you can’t limit Facebook Live to specific friends, one option is to broadcast your video in a private Facebook group rather than on your personal profile.
Facebook Groups allow you to create a closed space for certain people to communicate about shared interests. You can approve members and keep the group hidden so only members can see posts within the group.
So if you create a private group and add only the friends you want to view your live video, you could then start a live broadcast within that group. Only the members you approved to join the group would be able to watch your video.
This is the closest option to having invitation-only Facebook Live streams for selected friends. But it takes more setup by creating the private group in advance and adding members.
Using a Third-Party Broadcasting Tool
Another option is to use a third-party live streaming service that offers more controls over privacy and viewing permissions. Here are a few examples:
StreamYard
– Lets you stream to Facebook from StreamYard’s interface
– Has option for “Private Stream” to control exactly who can watch
BeLive
– Multi-stream to various platforms including Facebook
– Has “Private Room” feature to restrict access
Restream
– Simultaneously stream to multiple sites
– Can create private viewing rooms
With these platforms, you broadcast your stream on their service then pipe the video feed directly into Facebook. This gives you full control over viewer permissions before the stream ever reaches Facebook.
The downside is you have to send invites and manage viewers outside of Facebook. But for maximum privacy, third-party apps provide the most options.
Using Facebook Tools to Simulate Private Streams
While native Facebook Live doesn’t support private, invite-only live streams, you can approximate the experience using some clever tricks:
Create a private Facebook event
– Make it a private event that only invited friends can see
– Set a specific start time for your “event”
Go live at that event start time
– Only friends invited to the private event will get notified
Use a secret/private Facebook group
– As mentioned above, go live in a private group only your intended audience has access to
Use Facebook Lists
– Create a list with only the friends you want to view your stream
– Start your broadcast and choose the list under the audience selector
While a bit makeshift, these methods allow you to at least narrow down the audience for your Facebook Live rather than keeping it completely public.
Should Facebook Add Built-In Private Streaming?
Many live streaming platforms like Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube offer native options for private or invite-only streaming. So should Facebook follow suit?
There are valid arguments on both sides:
Pros of private streaming on Facebook:
– Lets users control who sees live video
– Allows streaming personal events like birthdays
– Builds closer connections with certain friend groups
Cons of private streaming:
– Contradicts Facebook’s public sharing model
– Makes it harder to grow an audience organically
– Could be used to share inappropriate content
Overall, adding selective viewing for Facebook Live would benefit certain personal use cases. But it could come at the cost of public sharing and growth which Facebook relies on.
The Case for Invite-Only Streaming
Here are some of the main reasons why invite-only live streaming aligns with how people use Facebook:
– More control over privacy
– Share intimate moments with close friends and family
– Avoid trolls, harassment, inappropriate comments
– Target events and updates to certain friend circles
The demand is there – in one survey, 67% of users said they wished Facebook Live had private and invite-only options.
As Facebook continues evolving into a forum for both public broadcasting and private communication, exclusive streaming could be a logical next step.
The Case Against Private Streaming
Here are some of the arguments against adding private/invite-only streaming to Facebook:
– Goes against the open, public sharing ethos Facebook was founded on
– Makes it harder for creators and publishers to organically grow their audience
– Reduces the amount of public live video content for general users to discover
– Opens the door for inappropriate or objectionable content out of public view
Facebook has take a firm stance that limiting News Feed visibility goes against their mission of open sharing and global connectivity.
And without visibility controls, private streaming on Facebook could end up being at odds with users’ expectations of an intimate but still semi-public experience.
The Future of Facebook Live Privacy
It’s unlikely that Facebook will add native support for fully private, invite-only live streaming anytime soon given their emphasis on open public sharing.
However, as demand grows for more control over privacy and audience targeting, we could see Facebook test out new middle ground options, such as:
– Post-stream privacy settings: Change visibility after broadcast
– Limited re-sharing: Let creator restrict resharing of live video
– Audience surveys: Ask intended audience for feedback pre-stream
– Collaboration and approval tools: Require certain friends to approve a stream
Facebook sees the real-time, raw nature of Live video as a key differentiator. Finding a balance between privacy and openness will be critical as Facebook Live matures.
For now, those looking for maximum control over their live streaming audience will be better served by standalone third-party apps and platforms. But native Facebook options could be on the horizon.
Conclusion
Facebook Live currently does not offer the ability to make live streams accessible by “invitation only” or restrict viewing to a custom list of friends. The only native options are to broadcast publicly, to friends only, or to followers only.
To approximate private and exclusive live streaming on Facebook, users can create private groups or events, use friend lists, or use a third-party broadcasting platform that pipes streams into Facebook.
There are valid arguments on both sides of the debate around adding exclusive live streaming to Facebook. While it would enable more privacy and intimate sharing, it could also limit public access and reduce content visibility.
As live video continues to grow as a communication medium, Facebook will likely experiment with more controls and privacy options. But fully private, invite-only streaming clashes with their mission of open and public content sharing.
So for the time being, users wanting that level of exclusivity will need to simulate it using workarounds or external broadcasting platforms. Native support for invitation-only live video on Facebook remains unlikely for the foreseeable future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I restrict my Facebook Live video to only my friends?
Yes, when you are configuring settings for going live, there is an option to limit the audience to “Friends Only”. This will restrict visibility of your live video to only your Facebook friends.
Can I limit my Facebook Live to a specific group of friends?
No, there is no native option to choose specific individual friends who can view your stream. The only audience options are everyone, friends only, or followers only. To limit to certain friends, you would need to use a workaround like creating a private Facebook event or group.
Can I charge people to access my Facebook Live video?
No, Facebook does not allow you to charge viewers or restrict access to your live videos behind a paywall. All Facebook live streams must be available for free public viewing or to your list of friends/followers. If you want to monetize your live videos with paid access, you would need to use a third-party platform.
Can I save my live videos and limit who can view the replays?
Once a Facebook Live video ends, it is saved to your Timeline like a normal video post. You can edit the privacy settings of the saved video the same as any other post, restricting it after-the-fact to certain friends for example.
How do I hide offensive or inappropriate comments on my public live videos?
If you receive inappropriate comments during a public live stream, you can click on the comment to open a menu and select “Hide Comment”. This will remove it from view. You can also block and report abusive users.
Conclusion
In summary, native Facebook Live functionality does not currently support private, invite-only live streaming. The closest options are limiting viewers to friends or followers only. Workarounds like private groups, events, and third-party apps can approximate invite-only streaming to a degree.
Demand and pressure on Facebook to offer more privacy controls is continuing to grow. But at this time, fully private live streaming seems at odds with Facebook’s emphasis on open sharing and growth. We may see small steps toward invite-only streams, but limitations are likely to remain in place. Users wanting total exclusivity will need to look beyond the native Facebook Live platform for now.