If your Facebook shortcuts are not showing up, there are a few potential reasons why this could be happening:
You don’t have any shortcuts created
The most obvious reason your shortcuts aren’t showing up is because you haven’t actually created any yet. Shortcuts are custom commands that allow you to quickly post certain phrases, photos, videos or stickers. To create shortcuts, go to “More” in your composer box and select “Shortcuts”. From there, tap the “+” icon to create a new shortcut. Give it a name, upload any media you want included, and save it. Now your shortcut will appear in the list and you can use it whenever you create a post.
Your app or browser is out of date
Facebook is constantly rolling out new features and updates. If your Facebook app or browser is outdated, it’s possible your version hasn’t been updated with the shortcuts feature yet. Make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook app installed on your device. On desktop, shortcuts are currently only supported in the Chrome browser. Make sure your Chrome browser is up to date.
You’ve hidden the shortcuts
Facebook allows you to customize which options appear in your composer toolbar. It’s possible you may have accidentally hidden the shortcuts option. To re-enable it:
- On mobile app: Tap the three dots at the bottom of the composer window and make sure “Shortcuts” is toggled on.
- On desktop website: Click the down arrow at the far right of the composer toolbar and make sure “Shortcuts” is checked.
You don’t have permission to use shortcuts
Facebook allows page admins to restrict which roles are able to create and use shortcuts. If you are trying to use shortcuts from your Facebook page, make sure your admin has granted you permission to do so. You can ask them to update your role’s permissions if needed.
Your browser settings are blocking shortcuts
Some browser extensions and privacy settings can block certain Facebook functionality. Try disabling any ad blockers or tracking protection you have enabled and see if that allows your shortcuts to display properly. You may need to whitelist Facebook or make an exception for the domain.
It’s a temporary glitch
Like any technology, Facebook can have occasional glitches or bugs that affect certain features and functions. It’s possible there is just a temporary problem stopping your shortcuts from loading properly. Try force quitting and relaunching the Facebook app on your mobile device. On desktop, do a hard refresh of the Facebook website by pressing Ctrl+Shift+R. See if the issue persists after completely restarting the Facebook platform.
Clear your browser cache
Outdated files stored in your browser’s cache could also be interfering with Facebook’s shortcuts functionality. Try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies to eliminate any corrupted data. On desktop, you can clear cache and cookies through your browser’s privacy or history settings. On mobile, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app to fully clear the cache.
Update your browser or device
If your browser or device operating system is severely outdated, Facebook may have discontinued support for shortcuts. Make sure your device and browser are updated to the latest versions possible. Facebook requires iOS 12+ or Android 4.4+ to run the latest version of the mobile app. On desktop, you’ll need an up-to-date version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge to utilize all features.
Check your Facebook settings
It’s possible your personal Facebook settings are impacting shortcuts for some reason. Go to your Facebook Settings and make sure nothing is enabled that would override or disable shortcuts. Specifically check:
- Ads – Make sure you don’t have ad personalization disabled, as this can impact feature delivery.
- Permissions – Verify you’ve granted the Facebook app access to all required permissions like photos, media, files, etc.
- Blocking – Check that you don’t have any words, phrases, people, pages or groups blocked that are interfering.
Correct any relevant settings that could be restricting shortcuts.
Contact Facebook support
If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and shortcuts still aren’t working, you’ll need to report the problem directly to Facebook. From the Facebook app or website, go to “Help” then “Support Inbox” to contact Facebook’s customer support team. Explain the issue in detail and they can look into your specific account. There may be something wrong on Facebook’s end preventing shortcuts from functioning properly for you.
In summary, shortcuts not showing up can often be fixed by updating software, adjusting browser settings, clearing cache, checking permissions, and contacting Facebook support if needed. With some troubleshooting, you should be able to get shortcuts working again so you can access these time-saving tools.