Facebook Live allows you to broadcast live video streams to your Facebook friends and followers. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to access your Facebook Live feed on both desktop and mobile:
Accessing Your Facebook Live Feed on Desktop
To view your Facebook Live feed on desktop:
- Go to www.facebook.com and log into your account.
- Click on the “Live” icon in the status update box.
- You will be taken to the Facebook Live broadcast studio where you can start your live stream.
- To view your Facebook Live feed, click on the “Live Videos” icon on the left sidebar.
- Here you will see a feed of all your live broadcasts, both past and any currently live.
- To watch a live broadcast, simply click on the video thumbnail.
- To watch a past broadcast, click on the video thumbnail and then click “Play” to start watching the archived video.
So in summary, to see your Facebook Live feed on desktop:
- Go to www.facebook.com
- Click the “Live Videos” icon on the left sidebar
- View your feed of live and past broadcasts
- Click a video to watch it
Accessing Your Facebook Live Feed on Mobile
To view your Facebook Live feed on the Facebook mobile app:
- Open the Facebook app on your phone.
- Tap on the “Live” icon at the top.
- Tap on “Go Live” to start broadcasting a live stream.
- To view your feed, tap on “Live Videos” right below your name and profile picture.
- Here you will see thumbnails of all your past and currently live broadcasts.
- Tap on a live broadcast to watch it.
- For past broadcasts, tap the thumbnail and then hit “Play.”
In summary, to access your Facebook Live feed on mobile:
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the “Live Videos” icon below your profile pic
- View your feed and tap any video to watch it
Broadcasting a Live Video on Facebook
Now that you know how to view your Facebook Live feed, let’s go over how to actually broadcast a live video:
From Desktop
- Go to www.facebook.com and log in.
- Click the “Live” icon in the status update box.
- Give your live video a title and description.
- Click “Go Live.” Your video will start broadcasting immediately to your News Feed.
- Interact with viewers as they start watching by responding to any comments that come in.
- When you are done, click “Finish” to end the broadcast.
From Mobile App
- Open the Facebook app and tap the “Live” icon.
- Tap “Go Live.”
- Add a description and tap the smiley face icon to add your mood.
- Tap “Start Live Video.” Your broadcast will now start.
- Interact with viewers and respond to comments as they come in.
- When finished, swipe right and tap “Finish” to end the video.
It’s that easy! Now you can broadcast live videos on Facebook to engage with your friends and followers.
Video and Audio Settings
When broadcasting live, you can adjust a few settings to improve your video and audio quality:
- Orientation – Choose between landscape or portrait mode.
- Microphone – Select which microphone device to use or mute/unmute your mic.
- Camera – Choose which camera device to use if you have multiple cameras.
- Quality – Higher quality uses more data but is better resolution. Select a quality based on your connection speed.
- Mirror View – Flip the view so you can see yourself as others see you.
- Beauty Filter – Apply a subtle facial touch-up filter (mobile only).
Play around with these settings before going live to optimize for the best audio/video quality possible.
Going Live With Friends
You can now go live with other people to turn your broadcast into a virtual hangout session:
- Start a new live video from desktop or mobile.
- Click the camera icon to add someone. You can add friends who are also live, friends from your list, or enter a link to invite anyone.
- Friends will receive a notification that they’ve been invited. Once they accept, their live broadcast will be merged with yours.
- Both of your videos will display side-by-side. You’ll be able to see and talk to each other.
- When done, each person can click “Finish” to leave individually or you can finish together.
Going live with multiple people is a fun way to increase engagement and brings an interactive element to your broadcast!
Using Live Video Effects
Facebook provides some neat effects you can use during your broadcasts:
- Filters – Swipe to browse fun filters like black and white or blurred background.
- Face Filters – Access Facebook’s face filters to alter your look. Tap the smiley face icon.
- Text & Stickers – Overlay text captions or decorative stickers on your video.
- AR Masks – Cover your face with an augmented reality mask or effect.
Effects help make your videos more visually engaging. Try them out during your next broadcast!
Managing Notifications
When you go live, a notification will be sent to your followers. To manage notifications:
- Desktop – When you start a broadcast, click the globe icon to toggle notifications on or off.
- Mobile – Tap “Live Video” then “Advanced Settings” to toggle notifications before going live.
You can also adjust notification settings from your Facebook settings menu. Toggle “Broadcast Notifications” on for all broadcasts or off to disable.
Keep in mind, disabling notifications may decrease initial viewership of your live videos since fewer people will know when you’re broadcasting.
Controlling Access to Your Live Videos
You can control who gets to view your live broadcasts:
- Public – Anyone can view your live videos.
- Friends – Only your friends can view your live videos.
- Only Me – Your live videos are private and only visible to you in your Live Videos feed.
On desktop, select the audience when you create a new live video using the dropdown menu next to the Post button. On mobile, tap the gear icon first to access video privacy settings.
Setting live videos to Friends or Only Me mode is a good option if you only want to broadcast to certain people.
Viewing Live Video Replays
Finished live broadcasts are saved to your Live Videos feed where they can be viewed for up to 90 days. To find replays:
- Go to your Live Videos feed.
- Scroll through and look for videos marked “Live Replay.”
- Tap the video to watch the full replay.
You can delete replays at any time by hovering over the video and clicking on the X icon (desktop) or tapping the More menu > Delete (mobile).
Downloading Live Broadcasts
If you want to save a copy of your live video:
- Go to your Live Videos feed and click the replay version of the broadcast.
- Click the More menu (desktop) or More Options > Download (mobile)
- Choose the video quality you want to download.
- The video file will download to your computer or phone.
Facebook compresses live video downloads, so the quality is not as high as the original broadcast. But it’s handy for saving an offline copy to re-share or edit later.
Embedding Live Videos
To embed a live broadcast or replay video:
- Click the video to open it.
- Click the More menu (desktop) or More Options > Embed (mobile).
- Copy the <iframe> embed code.
- Paste the code into your website or blog HTML.
The video will now display as embedded content on your site. People can watch it without having to visit Facebook.
Troubleshooting Live Video Issues
Here are some tips if you’re having issues with Facebook Live:
Poor Video Quality
- Check your internet connection speed and restart your modem/router if needed.
- Reduce the video quality setting if you have a slower connection.
- Move closer to your WiFi router, or try using an ethernet cable connection.
Choppy or Disconnected Streams
- Force quit and restart the Facebook app if on mobile.
- Allow the Facebook app to access your phone’s microphone, camera, and contacts.
- Switch to a different device or borrow a friend’s to test.
No Viewers Can Find Your Live Video
- Make sure notifications are enabled in the advanced settings.
- Create shorter titles so the full text shows.
- Share the live video on your timeline and in Groups to increase visibility.
Comments Aren’t Appearing
- Ask a friend to comment and confirm they show on their end.
- Check your comment filters and make sure comments aren’t hidden.
- Try enabling comments as a Page instead of personal profile.
Still having issues? Consult Facebook’s help center or contact Facebook support for personalized troubleshooting assistance.
Conclusion
Facebook Live is a powerful tool for engaging your audience in real time. Now you know how to access your live feed, broadcast new videos, adjust settings, use effects, control privacy, view replays, save broadcasts, embed them, and troubleshoot issues.
Get creative and have fun connecting with your friends and followers on Facebook Live!