Watching videos on Facebook is a great way to see entertaining and informative content from friends, family, creators, brands and publishers. Depending on your settings and location, there are a few different ways to turn on video watching on Facebook.
Enabling Video Posts in Your News Feed
The main way most people watch videos on Facebook is directly in their News Feed. This allows you to scroll through posts from friends, Pages and Groups you follow, and discover new video content Facebook recommends based on your interests.
To enable seeing videos in your News Feed:
- Go to your Facebook News Feed
- Click on the 3 line “hamburger” icon in the top right corner
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Click on “News Feed Preferences”
- Make sure “Videos” is toggled on under “Preferences”
This will allow video posts shared by friends, Pages, Groups and publishers to appear naturally as you scroll through your News Feed. You can then click or tap on any video post to start watching it.
Adjusting Video Ranking in News Feed
You can also adjust how often you see videos in your News Feed by modifying the “Videos” ranking setting:
- Follow steps 1-4 above
- Under “Preferences” click on “Videos”
- Adjust the slider to change video frequency from “More” to “Less” in your News Feed
Dragging this towards “More” will make video posts appear more prominently, while dragging it towards “Less” will decrease their frequency. This gives you greater control over the balance of video content in your News Feed.
Using Watch
Facebook’s Watch section is a dedicated place to watch videos on Facebook. This includes videos from creators, publishers, shows and more. There are a few ways to start watching videos on Watch:
The Watch Menu
You can access Watch from the main Facebook menu:
- Click on the 3 line “hamburger” menu icon
- Select “Watch” from the menu
This will take you to the Watch feed where you can start watching videos.
The Watch Tab
If you have it enabled, there will also be a Watch Tab on your Facebook toolbar:
- Click on the Watch Tab in your toolbar
This tab allows quick access to Watch at any time as you use Facebook.
Watch Recommendations
You may also see videos recommended from Watch directly in your News Feed or in the right-hand sidebar. Simply click or tap on any video thumbnail to start watching it.
Using Facebook Live
Facebook Live allows you to watch livestreamed videos in real-time from friends, Pages, Groups and creators. There are a couple ways to find Facebook Live videos to watch:
News Feed
When a Facebook friend or someone you follow goes live, you may see a notification about it in your News Feed. Simply click on the notification to start watching the live video.
Live Producer Pages
You can also visit the Pages of creators and publishers who go live frequently. When you follow or like these Pages, you’ll get notified when they start broadcasting live. Some examples include:
- News organizations
- Sports teams and leagues
- Notable public figures
- Online personalities/influencers
Start following the Pages of people and entities you want to watch live to catch their next videos.
Live Videos in Search
You can also find live videos by searching on Facebook. Try searching for something you’re interested in + “live” such as “news live” or “gaming live.” Filter the results by live videos to discover relevant livestreams.
Using Watch Party
Facebook’s Watch Party feature allows you to watch videos in sync with friends and family. To start or join a Watch Party:
- Click the “Create Watch Party” button on a video post
- Or click “Join Watch Party” on a Watch Party invite from friends
This will open the video in the Watch Party viewing mode, with a chat window to the right to communicate with other viewers.
Changing Video Auto-Play Settings
Facebook automatically begins playing videos in your News Feed as you scroll by default. To change your auto-play preferences:
- Click on the down arrow in the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Click on “Media and Contacts”
- Adjust “Auto-Play Videos” to your preferred setting
You can choose to auto-play videos on WiFi only, or disable auto-play entirely. This will require manually clicking on videos to start them.
Using Facebook Viewing Controls
As you watch videos on Facebook, use the on-screen controls to optimize your viewing experience:
- Play/Pause – Start or stop the video
- Timeline – Skip ahead or drag the slider to a different point in the video
- Volume – Mute or adjust the volume level
- Settings – Change video quality from SD to HD
- Fullscreen – Make the video fill your display
Familiarizing yourself with these controls allows you to become a power viewer of Facebook videos.
Troubleshooting Facebook Video Issues
If you are having issues watching videos on Facebook, here are some troubleshooting steps to resolve common problems:
Videos Not Loading
- Check your internet connection – videos require a stable broadband connection to load and play smoothly
- Update your Facebook app – there may be a bug causing video troubles in an outdated version
- Clear your Facebook cache – go to Settings -> Apps and Websites -> Clear Cache to refresh your locally stored data
- Restart your device – power cycling can clear up temporary glitches
Videos Buffering Slowly
- Lower the video quality – try watching in SD if HD is buffering frequently
- Check for other apps using bandwidth – close any downloads or streaming in other apps
- Switch to a stronger WiFi or cellular connection if possible
Error When Trying to Watch Video
- Update the Facebook app if an update is available
- Clear cache and restart device to refresh software and hardware
- The video file itself may be corrupted – try watching a different video
- The video post may have been deleted – double check the video source
No Sound When Watching Video
- Tap the volume button to ensure sound isn’t muted
- Increase system volume if volume controls are up in the video app
- Check your device’s audio settings to make sure nothing is restricting Facebook audio
- Try watching on WiFi instead of cellular, which can cause audio issues
- The original video may not have audio – watch a different video to confirm
Conclusion
Watching videos on Facebook should be an easy and entertaining experience. By adjusting your News Feed preferences, using sections like Watch and Live, turning on auto-play, and troubleshooting issues, you can make sure you always have access to the latest and greatest video content on Facebook’s platform.
So like, follow and share your favorite video creators, grab some popcorn, and start watching your personalized video feed on Facebook today!