With life in lockdown, social networks have never been so important for staying in touch.
But thanks to the ability to stream live videos on Facebook, Instagram and other sites, they’re also becoming a great source of education and helping us enjoy ourselves, too.
From Strictly professional Oti Mabuse hosting dance classes for kids and adults, to virtual festivals and concerts – and endless live pub quizzes – Facebook has become more than just a place to swap messages and post memes.
But watching these videos on your smartphone or tablet certainly isn’t the most immersive experience, especially if more than one of you is watching. It also creates challenges if you’re trying to follow dance or exercise videos.
However it is possible to watch them on your TV, which solves just about every one of these problems.
How to watch Facebook Live video using Apple TV and Chromecast
If you have a Google Chromecast or a device with Google Chromecast features built-in (like the Nvidia Shield TV streaming device and some Philips, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba TVs), you can stream video to it from the Facebook app, proving they are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. You can do the same with an Apple TV or a smart TV that supports AirPlay (including some LG, Samsung and Sony TVs).
- Open Facebook on your phone or tablet and start the video playing
- Now look for a TV icon in the top right-hand corner and tap it
- If you have an Apple TV or TV with AirPlay in it, choose AirPlay and Bluetooth, then select the relevant device. If you have a Chromecast device select the name you originally called the TV or streaming device from the list displayed.
- Your video will now begin to play on your TV.
Tap the TV icon in the upper right corner again when you want to disconnect. This stops the video playing.
How to use the Facebook Watch App
If you don’t have a Chromecast or AirPlay device, or you find the video won’t stream properly, it’s worth considering the Facebook Watch app which is available free for TVs and other devices with Chromecast built-in, plus Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and the Microsoft Xbox games console.
However, because the Facebook Watch app doesn’t share the same layout as Facebook it can be fiddly to find the videos you’re looking for. The most effective method is to head to the search menu from the left-hand side, type the name of the Facebook page that’s sharing the video (not the name of the video itself) and select it from the displayed list.
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