There are a few potential reasons why you may not see the option to upload videos on Facebook:
Your Account Lacks Required Permissions
Facebook has different permission levels for accounts. Personal accounts by default can upload videos, but business pages and ad accounts require additional permissions.
To enable video uploading on a Facebook business page or ad account, you need to request access to the “Native Video Uploads” permission. This is done through the page settings. Go to “Settings” > “Page Roles” > “Add People” and select “Native Video Uploads” as the role to add.
Without this permission enabled, you will not have the option to natively upload videos. You would need to link to them from other hosting platforms like YouTube or Vimeo instead.
Your Account is Restricted
If your account has been restricted by Facebook, either due to violations of community guidelines or unusual activity, your ability to upload videos may be temporarily revoked.
Restricted accounts lose access to certain features, with video uploads being one of them. If you believe your account has been incorrectly restricted, you can appeal the restriction through the Help Center.
Your Device Lacks Capability
The device and browser you are using to access Facebook can also impact your ability to upload videos. Facebook’s video uploader requires:
- A browser that supports HTML5 video uploads
- A minimum internet upload speed of 1.5 Mbps
- Up to 4GB of free disk space (for HD videos)
If your browser or device lacks these capabilities, the video upload option may not appear.
For example, older browsers like Internet Explorer 10 and below do not support HTML5 uploading. The Facebook app may also restrict uploads on very old phones with limited storage.
Your Video File is Unsupported
Facebook only supports certain video formats and sizes for uploads:
| Format | Maximum Size |
|---|---|
| MP4 | 4GB |
| MOV | 4GB |
| AVI | 4GB |
| WMV | 4GB |
| MPEG4 | 4GB |
| MPEGPS | 4GB |
| 3gpp | 1GB |
| WebM | 4GB |
| MOV | 4GB |
| FLV | 4GB |
If your video exceeds the size limit or is in an unsupported format like MKV, Facebook will not give you the option to upload it.
You are Using the Mobile Website
The standard mobile Facebook website at m.facebook.com does not support native video uploads. The full desktop site facebook.com does allow uploads.
To upload videos directly on mobile, you need to use either the Facebook mobile app for iOS or Android, or switch to the desktop site if available.
The option simply does not exist on the mobile web interface, so you need to use one of the other options.
Your Upload Destination is Restricted
Where you are trying to upload the video to can also impact if the option is available.
For example, Facebook allows video uploads in statuses, but not in comments. The uploader also may not appear when posting to certain Groups or Pages based on their settings.
Try changing the destination where you are uploading the video to see if that triggers the upload option to appear.
Facebook is Experiencing a Technical Issue
In rare cases, technical issues on Facebook’s end may cause the video upload option to disappear temporarily.
Problems like site maintenance, an outage, or a widespread technical glitch can all affect whether uploads are possible.
If other Facebook features seem broken at the same time, this may be the cause. Check Facebook’s Help Center for any posted outages.
You Have an Extension Blocking Uploads
Browser extensions like ad blockers or privacy tools can sometimes interfere with Facebook’s interface and break features.
If you have any extensions installed, try disabling them temporarily to see if that restores your ability to upload videos.
Extensions that specifically block Facebook’s external servers will typically cause issues with video uploads not appearing.
You Are Using an Outdated Facebook Version
Facebook frequently releases new versions of its website and mobile apps, and outdated versions eventually lose support.
Make sure both your Facebook mobile app and your browser are updated to the latest version. On desktop, clear your browser cache as well after updating.
Using outdated and unsupported versions can lead to missing features problems, so keeping your software updated is important.
Your Browser Cookies are Blocked
Facebook uses browser cookies to store information like your logged in session and account details. Uploading requires this cookie data.
If your browser has cookies blocked globally, it can break Facebook features like video upload.
Try adding Facebook.com to your browser’s cookie permissions to allow cookies only from Facebook’s domain. This will resolve issues caused by global cookie blocking.
Conclusion
In summary, the most common reasons you may not see the option to upload videos on Facebook include:
- Lacking required permissions
- Your account is restricted
- Device capability limitations
- Unsupported video files
- Using the mobile website
- Restricted destinations
- Facebook technical issues
- Blocking browser extensions
- Outdated software versions
- Global cookie blocking
Checking each of these potential issues should reveal why you cannot upload videos and point you to the necessary solution – whether it’s updating your app, changing permissions, or switching to a compatible browser.
With the proper troubleshooting, you should be able to restore Facebook’s video uploading capability and share videos from your device again.