In today’s digital age, social media platforms continuously evolve, striving to keep users engaged and entertained. Users demand engaging content, and the combination of images, music, and animation has put video content at the top. Today, 60% of all internet traffic is video-based. In its pursuit of keeping its S-tier social media status, Facebook introduced a feature in 2021 that took the platform by storm: Facebook Reels. Like TikTok, Facebook Reels allows users to create and share short, engaging videos with friends and followers, quickly becoming the preferred content-sharing medium. However, if you’re one of the many users taking up Facebook Reels, you might have encountered a frustrating issue: Facebook Reels are not showing up.

In this article, we’ll go over what to do if you find yourself in this predicament. It’s essential to understand the possible causes and discover the best solutions.

What Are Facebook Reels

Facebook Reels are short 60-second videos similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok videos. They are accessible on the Facebook mobile app and the desktop version. To find Reels on the desktop application, check out Facebook’s instructions. To find Reels on the mobile app, you can use three methods:

  1. Click the ‘Reels’ tab at the top of your News Feed, next to the ‘Stories’ tab. This takes you to the Reels Feed, where you can swipe to view more Reels.
  2. If the Reels tab isn’t visible, you can access Reels by tapping the menu button (hamburger icon) at the top right corner of your newsfeed and selecting ‘Reels’ under ‘All Shortcuts.’ This also leads to a Reels Feed where you can swipe through content.
  3. Scrolling down your Facebook newsfeed, you’ll see a section labelled ‘Reels and short videos.’ Here, you can find suggested Reels from users you may not follow.

In summary, Facebook Reels offer a new way to share and discover short-form video content, and you can access them on the mobile app and desktop.

The Importance of Facebook Reels

Graph showing the top six media formats marketers use. Short-form videos (54), long form videos (36%), live videos/streaming (36%), user-generated content, interviews/podcasts/expert discussions, and infographics (30%).

Facebook Reels have swiftly risen to prominence as users favour them over standard image and text posts on the platform. Surveys show that short-form video content is the highest ROI format for content and will only keep growing in popularity in 2023. The appeal of Reels lies in their user-friendly format, capturing attention with the incorporation of music, effects, and fun backgrounds with just a single tap.

Additionally, Facebook Reels are an excellent way for creators to utilize content marketing engagingly. Through video, creators can interact with customers more personally and develop brand authority.

Possible Reasons Why Facebook Reels Are Not Showing

Before diving into the solutions, let’s consider some potential culprits:

  • Network Connection Issues: A stable internet connection is the foundation of anything online. If your network is unreliable, it can stop Facebook Reels from loading correctly.
  • Reel Removal: Sometimes, if you can’t find previously saved or liked Reels in your account, it may be because the original poster removed them.
  • Server Downtime: If Facebook’s servers experience downtime or issues, it can affect the app’s performance, including the display of Reels.
  • Mobile Data Permissions (iPhone): Ensure you’ve granted mobile data permissions to the Facebook app on your iPhone.
  • Low Data Mode: Facebook has an option to optimize video quality on cellular data, but this may interfere with Reel loading.
  • Cache Problems: Corrupted cache data can cause issues with Facebook Reels.

Possible Solutions

Now that we’ve identified some potential causes let’s explore the top ten fixes to address the problem of Facebook Reels not showing on your mobile device:

1. Check Your Network Connection

Start by ensuring your internet connection is stable. If needed, reset your network using the Airplane mode feature.

2. Verify Reel Removal

Double-check to see if the content creator has removed the Reel from their account.

3. Restart Facebook

Close the Facebook app on your mobile device and reopen it to access Reels.

4. Check Facebook’s Status

Use Downdetector to determine if Facebook is experiencing server downtime. If the site is experiencing server issues, you will most likely see other user comments noticing the same issue and high outage graphs. If confirmed, you must wait for Facebook to resolve the issue.

5. Enable Mobile Data Permissions (iPhone)

Ensure you’ve granted mobile data permissions for the Facebook app on your iPhone. If you are using cellular data and have not enabled mobile data permissions for Facebook, the app will not show trending reels.

6. Disable Low Data Mode

To optimize video quality, turn off the low data mode in Facebook settings. Facebook provides a specialized feature to enhance video performance on cellular connections. The social media giant says it can conserve as much as 40% of data by lowering video quality. To avoid this, you should deactivate the option within your Facebook settings.

7. Clear Facebook Cache

Deleting the app’s cache can resolve issues related to corrupted data. Facebook accumulates cache data on your mobile device to enhance app loading speed and overall performance. However, at times, Facebook may inadvertently gather corrupted cache data, leading to difficulties executing fundamental tasks, such as loading reels.

8. Reinstall Facebook

If the previous fixes are unsuccessful, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the Facebook app on your mobile device. To ensure you can view Reels, using the most up-to-date version of the official Meta app and avoiding third-party apps is essential. If others make their Reels public, users should be able to see them, regardless of whether they are under 18.

Updating the Facebook app often resolves most Facebook-related issues, including bugs. Facebook frequently releases updates that address these critical bugs. These bugs may manifest as an inability to comment or temporary unavailability of pages.

Therefore, if you encounter any issues or discover bugs, the recommended action is to check for available updates. You can access the App Store, select the ‘Updates’ option, or simply type ‘Facebook’ in the search bar to locate and install any available updates.

9. Check Facebook Reels on Desktop

If the mobile app continues to have issues with Reels, access Facebook Reels on the desktop website.

10. Contact Facebook Support

If none of the above solutions work, contact Facebook’s support for further assistance.

Conclusion: What to Do When Facebook Reels Are Not Showing

In conclusion, Facebook Reels have become a popular and engaging feature on the platform, offering users a creative and entertaining way to share content. If you face the frustrating problem of Facebook Reels not showing on your mobile device, the solutions provided here can help you get back on track and enjoy the full Reels experience. Whether it’s a network issue, a cache problem, or a server-side glitch, the path to fixing it is well within your reach. Happy Reeling!

If you want to learn more about how to become an expert in using Facebook and other social media to grow your brand, check out our other blog posts.

Originally published . Last updated .

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