Facebook allows users to share photos and videos, but there are file size limits in place. For videos, the file size limit is 1.75GB. This means you cannot upload videos larger than 1.75GB directly to Facebook.
However, there are a few workarounds that allow you to share large videos, even if they exceed Facebook’s file size limit:
Use Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a dedicated video platform within Facebook. Here, you can upload long-form videos up to 4GB in size. To share a large video on Facebook using Watch:
- Go to the Watch tab in your Facebook app or to facebook.com/watch on desktop.
- Click “+ Add Video” to start the uploading process.
- Select your large video file to upload.
- Fill out the video title, description, privacy settings, etc.
- Click “Publish” to make your video live on Watch.
Once your video is published on Watch, you can share it to your timeline or in groups just like regular videos on Facebook. The only difference is your large video will be hosted on Watch instead of directly on your Facebook page.
Upload to a Third-Party Service
Another option is to upload your large video to a third-party service like YouTube or Vimeo first. From there, you can share a link to the video or embed the video on Facebook.
Here are some third-party hosting options to consider:
- YouTube – Allows uploads up to 128GB in size. Share video links or embed videos on Facebook.
- Vimeo – Upload limit is 5TB. Can also embed Vimeo videos on Facebook.
- Google Drive – Store videos up to 5TB. Share video links to your Drive files.
- Dropbox – 2GB individual file limit but no cap on total storage. Share links to Dropbox videos.
The benefit of using a third-party service is you aren’t limited by Facebook’s file size cap. However, the viewer will have to click through to the third-party site to watch the full video – it won’t play directly within Facebook.
Compress Your Video
If you want your video to play directly within Facebook, you can use video compression software to shrink the file size:
- HandBrake – Free and open source compression tool. Can significantly reduce file sizes.
- Avidemux – Also free and open source. Optimizes videos for sharing.
- Adobe Media Encoder – Comes with paid Creative Cloud plans. Advanced compression features.
- Final Cut Pro – Video editing software for Mac. Lets you export optimized videos.
The goal is to shrink the video file below 1.75GB so it can be uploaded directly to Facebook. However, overly compressing videos can negatively impact quality. You’ll need to test different export settings to balance file size with quality.
Upload Your Video in Chunks
If compressing the full video yields poor results, another workaround is to split it into smaller chunks first. For example, you could divide a 3GB video into two 1.5GB parts. Then upload each chunk as a separate video to Facebook.
To split large videos:
- Use video editing software like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, etc. to divide the full length video into smaller segments.
- Export each segment as an individual video file.
- Upload the segments to Facebook sequentially.
The limitation here is that viewers have to watch all the separate parts to see the full video. But at least this makes the video accessible on Facebook without quality loss from extreme compression.
Use Facebook Mentions
Facebook Mentions is a special platform for public figures and creators. Normal users can also access it to upload long-form videos.
With Mentions, you can upload videos up to 2048 MB (2 GB). That’s larger than the normal 1.75GB limit across Facebook.
To use Mentions for large videos:
- Go to facebook.com/mentions and sign up/log in.
- Click “Post Video” then select your large video file.
- Edit the video title, description, etc. and post it.
- You can now share the Mentions video link to Facebook, groups, etc. just like a normal video.
Mentions isn’t ideal since it’s a separate platform from your main Facebook page. But it does provide another option for sharing really large videos if needed.
Use Facebook Ad Video Specs
Interestingly, Facebook’s guidelines for advertising video allow for much larger files than normal Facebook videos.
Here are the Facebook ad video specs:
| Ad Length | Maximum File Size |
|---|---|
| Less than 15 seconds | 30MB |
| 15-45 seconds | 50MB |
| 45-180 seconds | 90MB |
| 180+ seconds | 150MB |
As you can see, the allowed file sizes are significantly higher than the 1.75GB limit for organic, non-paid videos.
To leverage this, you could run your large video as a Facebook ad first. Then save the post and share it natively once it’s successfully uploaded via the ad workflow.
While designed for ads, this approach essentially piggybacks on the higher video limits permitted through Facebook’s advertising platform.
Conclusion
In summary, here are some effective ways to share large videos that exceed Facebook’s normal file size limit:
- Upload your video to Facebook Watch if it’s under 4GB.
- Host your video externally on YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc. and share the link.
- Use compression software like HandBrake to reduce the file size.
- Split your video into smaller chunks and upload them sequentially.
- Leverage Facebook Mentions to upload videos up to 2GB.
- Run your video as a Facebook ad first to take advantage of the higher file limits.
While Facebook’s 1.75GB video limit can be restrictive, these workarounds allow you to share even very large videos up to 4GB or more. The right approach depends on your specific video size and quality needs.
With clever use of Facebook’s different platforms and features, you can find ways to share engaging video content – no matter the file size.