The Watch tab allows you to easily find and watch videos that have been shared by your friends, Pages you follow, and groups you are a member of on Facebook. Here are some tips on how to enable and use the Watch tab:
Enable the Watch Tab
The Watch tab may not be enabled by default in your Facebook app or desktop site. Here is how to turn it on:
- On the Facebook mobile app, tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) and scroll down to “See More”. If Watch is listed there, tap it to enable it.
- On desktop, click the downward arrow in the left sidebar and select “See More”. If Watch is listed, click the toggle button next to it to enable it.
Once enabled, the Watch tab will appear in the left sidebar on desktop or in the menu on mobile.
Find Videos in Watch
The Watch tab organizes videos into categories to make them easy to find:
- Following – Videos shared by your friends and Pages/profiles you follow.
- Live – Live videos happening now that you can join and comment on.
- Gaming – Live and recorded gameplay videos.
- Videos You Like – Videos you have reacted to or said you want to watch later.
- Saved – Videos you have saved to watch later.
- Channels -Videos from creators and publishers.
- Groups – Videos shared in your groups.
- Most Recent – Recently uploaded videos.
- Discover – Recommended videos based on your interests.
Scroll through these categories to find videos shared by friends and Pages you follow. You can also search for specific videos, creators, topics, or keywords using the search bar at the top of the Watch tab.
Interact with Videos
When watching a video, you can interact with it just like regular Facebook posts:
- Like or react to the video using the reaction buttons.
- Comment on the video to join the discussion.
- Share the video to your own timeline or in a message.
- Save the video to a playlist to watch later.
- Tag friends in the comments to notify them.
Interacting with videos helps improve the recommendation algorithm so it can surface more videos you are likely to enjoy watching.
Create Watch Parties
You can create a Watch Party to watch and react to videos in real-time with friends. Here’s how:
- In Watch, select a video you want to watch.
- Click the Share icon below the video.
- Choose “Create Watch Party”.
- Select friends to invite and post it.
Friends you invite will receive a notification to join your Watch Party. As you watch the video together, you can chat and see each others’ reactions and comments in real-time!
Manage Your Watch History
Your Watch history is used by Facebook to improve video recommendations. You can manage your history:
- On mobile, go to Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Videos to view watch history.
- On desktop, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Videos to view watch history.
- Tap “Clear History” to delete all videos from your history.
- Toggle “Save Watch History” to disable/enable history tracking.
Customize Video Preferences
You can customize your video experience in Settings:
- Enable/disable autoplay of videos in your News Feed.
- Hide videos from Pages or people you don’t follow.
- See fewer videos about certain topics.
- Save your video quality preference for WiFi vs. mobile data.
Adjusting these settings can help optimize Facebook Watch for your viewing preferences.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you are having issues accessing or using the Watch tab, try these troubleshooting tips:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Watch tab is missing |
|
| Videos won’t play |
|
| Can’t find certain videos |
|
Conclusion
The Watch tab provides a customized video viewing experience on Facebook. Turn it on in your shortcuts menu, interact with videos from friends and creators you follow, and customize your preferences. With the Watch tab, you can easily find, share, and chat about videos without leaving Facebook.