Streaming live video on Facebook can be a great way to connect with your friends, family, and followers in real time. However, you may encounter issues trying to go live on Facebook. There are a few common reasons why you may be unable to stream on Facebook Live.
You Don’t Meet the Eligibility Requirements
Facebook has certain eligibility requirements you must meet in order to stream live video. Here are the requirements to broadcast on Facebook Live:
- You must have a Facebook profile in good standing. This means your account is not currently blocked or restricted.
- Your Facebook profile must be public. Private profiles cannot go live.
- You must have at least 10 followers.
- You must be registered with Facebook for over one month.
- If you are under 18, your account must be set up as a personal profile, not a page.
- Pages must have a profile photo and content published for over a month before going live.
If you do not meet these requirements, you will be unable to broadcast live video on Facebook. Make sure your profile meets the eligibility criteria if you want to stream on Facebook Live.
App Permissions Are Not Enabled
In order to stream live video on Facebook, you must enable certain app permissions. Here are the app permissions required for Facebook Live:
- Access to your camera and microphone – This allows you to broadcast video and audio.
- Access to your photos/media – This allows you to go live with photos or videos from your camera roll.
- Access to your WiFi connection – This allows Facebook to broadcast over WiFi if available.
If any of these permissions are not enabled, you may get an error when trying to start your live video. Make sure to check your app permissions and enable anything related to the camera, microphone, media, and WiFi to go live.
Connectivity Issues
A strong internet connection is required to broadcast live video. You need a minimum upload speed of at least 1.5 Mbps, but 3-5 Mbps is recommended for optimal video quality. Anything lower than 1.5 Mbps will likely result in buffering and a degraded broadcast.
So if you are getting connectivity errors trying to stream, check both your WiFi and cellular data speeds. Move closer to your router or connect to cellular data if the WiFi is too slow. Running a speed test can help you identify if your connection is the issue.
Keep in mind streaming video requires more bandwidth than just browsing the internet or loading pages. So even if things seem generally functional, your connection may struggle with sustaining a live video stream.
Facebook Live Server Issues
Problems on Facebook’s end can also prevent live streaming. Server outages, though rare, can take down Facebook Live. Bugs and glitches may also temporarily block broadcasting. Usually these issues are resolved within hours, though major outages have lasted 1-2 days before.
There is not much you can do when Facebook itself is having technical difficulties. Check Facebook’s status page or social media accounts to see if they have acknowledged any ongoing issues on their end. Otherwise, try again later once any outages have been resolved.
App Crashes or Failures
Issues with the Facebook app itself may block live streaming. If the app crashes, freezes, or fails to load, you will likely get stuck when initiating a live video. Try fully force closing and restarting the Facebook app from your device’s app manager.
Update the Facebook app to the latest version available. App updates often contain bug fixes that may resolve any crashing or freezing issues. As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall Facebook to do a clean slate install of the app. Just be sure to backup anything important first.
Account Restrictions or Blocks
If your Facebook account has been temporarily blocked or restricted due to violations of Facebook’s terms, you will be unable to go live or access certain features. A block or restriction may occur if you have repeatedly shared inappropriate, dangerous, or abusive content.
Review Facebook’s Community Standards to ensure your posts and content comply with guidelines. Avoid posting any spam, nudity, hate speech, threats or other content prohibited by Facebook’s terms. Restrictions are often temporary, but repeat violations can lead to permanent disabling of accounts.
Page Restrictions
Pages may have additional restrictions applied that prevent live streaming. For example, Facebook can impose a “No Live Privileges” restriction if a page has a history of violating Community Standards when broadcasting live video. This results in revocation of live streaming access.
Page owners can request a review of restrictions by submitting an appeal form. However, access is only restored once Facebook determines the risk of further violations has been eliminated. Repeated offenses often lead to permanent revocation of live streaming privileges.
Facebook Live Region Availability
Facebook Live may be limited or unavailable entirely in some countries and regions. Legal restrictions in certain areas prevent Facebook from providing live video streaming services. For example, Facebook Live remains banned in China.
You may need to use a VPN to access Facebook Live if you are traveling abroad in a country where it is blocked or restricted. Otherwise, there is no way around location restrictions imposed by local governments and regulators. Broadcasting live video is simply not possible in some parts of the world.
How to Troubleshoot Facebook Live Streaming
If you are running into problems going live on Facebook, here are some troubleshooting steps to resolve common issues:
| Issue | Troubleshooting Tips |
|---|---|
| Eligibility requirements not met |
|
| App permissions not enabled |
|
| Poor internet connection |
|
| Facebook Live server issues |
|
| Facebook app crashing |
|
| Account restricted or blocked |
|
| Live streaming unavailable in region |
|
Following troubleshooting tips to identify and resolve the cause can get Facebook Live working again. Make sure to double check all settings, connections, permissions, and account status anytime issues pop up while attempting to broadcast live streams.
Tips for Improving Your Facebook Live Streams
Once you can successfully go live, here are some tips for creating engaging, high-quality video broadcasts:
- Check lighting – Position yourself in a well-lit area so viewers can see you clearly.
- Use a stable camera – Mount your phone or use a tripod for a steady shot.
- Monitor sound – Use a microphone for better audio if needed.
- Interact with viewers – Answer questions and acknowledge comments as they come in.
- Promote ahead of time – Hype up your stream in posts, events, and ads.
- Choose interesting topics – Give viewers a reason to tune in with compelling content.
- Rehearse and prepare – Practice and plan what you’ll talk about for a smoother broadcast.
- Find optimal streaming times – Analyze when your followers are most active online.
- Use stream overlays – Include visual elements like your logo, graphics, etc.
- Check the stream feed – Preview how your broadcast looks to viewers.
Taking steps to improve video and sound quality will make streams more professional. Interacting with your audience and promoting streams properly gives you the best chance of driving viewer engagement.
Facebook Live Alternatives
If you are still unable to get Facebook Live working, there are a few alternative streaming options to consider:
YouTube Live
YouTube Live allows streaming directly to your YouTube channel. Broadcasts can be up to 12 hours long. Just like regular YouTube videos, your live streams are posted and remain viewable after completion. YouTube Live works across devices and does not require a certain number of followers or friends to start streaming.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live lets you stream real-time video through Instagram Stories. Your live broadcast disappears after ending, unless you choose to share a replay to your main feed. You can go live with a friend in a two-person stream. There are no follower requirements to go live on Instagram, making it accessible to start streaming.
Twitch
Twitch is a popular platform designed specifically for gaming live streams. But Twitch also supports “Just Chatting” streams focused on conversations, Q&As, interviews, and more. There is an audience of over 15 million daily active users on Twitch looking for content.
Twitter Live
Twitter Live (formerly Periscope) offers a similar live streaming experience directly through your Twitter account and feed. Broadcasts can have up to 4 active hosts and an unlimited number of viewers. Twitter Live streams natively within the Twitter app for easy access to your followers.
Trying out alternate platforms expands your options for connecting with different audiences through live video. Each service has its own formats, features, and communities that may better suit your streaming needs.
Conclusion
Being unable to go live on Facebook can certainly be frustrating. But identifying the specific issues blocking your ability to stream is key to finding solutions. Run through possible reasons like ineligibility, app problems, connection, account restrictions, and region availability to troubleshoot. Optimizing your stream setup and considering alternate platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, and Twitter can also help expand your live streaming reach and presence across channels. With the right troubleshooting and adaptations, you can overcome any obstacles to live streaming on Facebook or other services.