When using Facebook Live to broadcast live video, viewers can comment and interact in real-time. However, sometimes a viewer’s comments may not immediately appear. There are a few potential reasons why a comment might not show up right away on a Facebook Live video.
You May Be Blocked From Commenting
One possibility is that you have been blocked from commenting by the broadcaster. Broadcasters have the ability to block specific users from commenting on their live videos. If you have been blocked, your comments will not be visible to anyone else watching the live video.
To check if you have been blocked, you can try commenting on another Facebook Live video from a different broadcaster. If your comments go through on other videos, then you have likely been blocked from commenting on that specific person’s broadcasts.
Comments Are Delayed
Another common reason that comments may not appear immediately is due to a delay in the comments being processed and displayed. There is often a slight lag between when you submit a comment and when it shows up on the live video.
Comments on Facebook Live videos may be delayed for a few reasons:
- High volume of comments – When lots of viewers are commenting at once, it can cause a backlog that leads to delays in comments appearing.
- Poor connection – Slow internet speeds on your end or at Facebook’s servers can increase comment delays.
- Moderation process – Facebook screens comments for offensive/inappropriate content which adds a small delay.
Often the delay is only a few seconds, but when many people are commenting it can sometimes be up to a minute before your comment pops up. Be patient and it should appear shortly unless you have been blocked.
Your Comment May Violate Policies
Facebook Live comments are subject to Facebook’s Community Standards and Live Policies. If your comment contains hate speech, nudity, spam, or other policy violations, it may be removed and not displayed publicly.
If you think your comment was incorrectly removed, you can appeal the decision within Facebook. But any content that goes against their policies will not be shown on a live video.
Your Account May Not Meet Requirements
In some cases, Facebook may impose restrictions on accounts that limit their ability to comment on live videos. Here are some examples of restrictions that could prevent your comments from appearing:
- Age restrictions – If your account is registered as under 18 years old, you may be limited in live video features.
- Unverified accounts – Commenting may be limited until an account is verified with a phone number or ID.
- Restricted account – Previous violations could lead to temporary commenting restrictions.
Check your account status and age settings if you are consistently unable to get your comments to appear across multiple live videos.
Technical Issues With Your Account
Less commonly, technical bugs or glitches with your specific account could also prevent your comments from going through. Here are some technical issues worth troubleshooting:
- Refresh – Refreshing the video feed after posting a comment can sometimes help display it.
- Reconnect – Disconnecting and reconnecting to the video may prompt comments to appear.
- App issues – Try commenting from a web browser instead of the mobile app, or vice versa.
- Cache – Clear your browser cache and cookies and try commenting again.
- Update app – Ensure you have the latest version of the Facebook app.
- Restart device – Power off and on your device to clear any glitches.
If other comments are appearing and refreshing does not display your comments, reach out to Facebook support for additional troubleshooting.
You May Not Have Proper Permissions
To comment on a Facebook Live video, viewers need to have the appropriate permissions from both their own account and the broadcaster.
On your own account, make sure you have commenting enabled in your Facebook settings. Live commenting can be disabled in the “Posts You’re Tagged In” and “Comments” sections of settings.
The broadcaster also has control over who can comment. They can limit commenting to only friends, friends of friends, or public. If your account does not have permission based on the comment settings they chose, you will not be able to add comments.
How to Troubleshoot Facebook Live Comments Not Appearing
If your comments are not showing up on a Facebook Live video, here are some steps to troubleshoot:
- Refresh the live video feed after posting your comment. This will force any queued comments to display.
- Check if you can comment on other live videos. If you can comment elsewhere, you may be blocked by that specific broadcaster.
- Make sure your account does not have any restrictions enabled that would limit commenting.
- Post your comment again. Sometimes there are temporary delays that resolve on a second attempt.
- Restart your device and clear the cache/cookies for the Facebook app.
- Check your internet connection speed and stability.
- Update the Facebook app to the latest version available.
- Try accessing Facebook Live from a web browser if on mobile, or vice versa.
- Reach out to Facebook customer support if the issue persists.
Why Do Some Comments Get Blocked or Removed?
Facebook uses both automated moderation and user reports to identify and remove comments that violate policies. Here are some examples of comments that will be blocked or taken down after posting:
- Hate speech or threats based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, and serious disease or disability.
- Calls for exclusion or segregation based on protected characteristics.
- Support of groups or individuals involved in violent acts like terrorist groups, murderers, criminal organizations, hate groups.
- Sexual exploitation including solicitation, depiction, or facilitation of non-consensual sexual acts and sex trafficking.
- Bullying, harassment, defamation, and blackmail of private individuals.
- Statements of intent or advocacy to commit violence including threats against public figures.
- Coordinating harm including statements intended to incite violence, claims of health impacts or cures, and voter suppression.
- Spam comments or comments unrelated to the live video.
Comments removed for violating policies will not appear publicly on the live video. Broadcasters also have the ability to hide or delete comments shown on their own videos.
Best Practices for Commenting on Facebook Live
Here are some tips to ensure your comments on Facebook Live videos consistently appear in a timely manner:
- Avoid blocked words/phrases that may trigger automated moderation filters.
- Keep comments relevant to the live video and conversation.
- Be patient for comments to appear before reposting the same comment.
- Refresh the video periodically if you don’t see your comment right away.
- Avoid posting duplicate, redundant, or spam comments.
- Check your account settings to make sure commenting abilities are enabled.
- Follow Facebook’s policies and avoid hate speech, bullying, and other prohibited content.
- Consider adjusting comment privacy settings if applicable.
Conclusion
Facebook Live commenting should appear in real-time, but brief delays are common when many viewers interact at once. If your comments never materialize, you may be blocked, have account restrictions, or need technical troubleshooting. Understand and follow Facebook’s content policies, and check your account settings to resolve any issues that could limit your ability to comment on live videos.