How to Find Facebook Live

Trying to find live videos on Facebook can feel like searching for a specific show on a streaming service without a guide. You know the content is out there, but where do you look? This article cuts through the noise and shows you exactly how to find Facebook Live videos, whether you're a casual viewer or a marketer looking for inspiration. We'll cover everything from the dedicated Live hub to setting up notifications so you never miss a stream from your favorite creator.

Why It's Worth Finding Facebook Live Streams

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly touch on the "why." For viewers, Facebook Live offers a raw, interactive experience that pre-recorded videos can't match. It's a chance to engage with creators, ask questions in real-time, and be part of a community event as it happens. For marketers, creators, and business owners, finding other live streams is a goldmine for research. You can:

• See what competitors are doing: What topics are they covering? How are they engaging their audience? What's their setup like?
• Get content ideas: See what questions viewers are asking in the comments. Those questions are potential topics for your own content.
• Understand audience expectations: Pay attention to the streams with high engagement. What do they have in common? They're showing you what your target audience wants to see.

Now, let's look at the practical steps to find these valuable streams.

How to Find Live Videos on Facebook: The Simple Methods

If you just want to browse what's currently live, Facebook has built-in features to help you. These methods work on both the mobile app and the desktop website, though the button locations might differ slightly.

1. Use the "Watch" Hub and "Live" Tab

Facebook has a dedicated section for all video content, and a specific sub-section just for live streams. This is the fastest way to start browsing what's happening right now.

On Mobile (iPhone or Android):

1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap the "Watch" icon in the navigation bar (it looks like a play button in a TV screen). This is usually at the top or bottom of your screen.
3. Once in the Watch feed, you'll see several filter buttons at the top, such as "For you," "Following," and "Live."
4. Tap on "Live." Here, you'll find a feed of public live broadcasts happening at that exact moment, curated by Facebook's algorithm based on your interests and connections.

On Desktop:

1. Open Facebook.com in your browser.
2. Look for the "Watch" icon on the left-hand menu.
3. Once you're in the Watch section, you'll see another menu on the left. Click on "Live."
4. This will open a global map and a feed showing live videos from around the world. You can browse popular streams or see videos recommended for you.

This method is great for spontaneous discovery. You never know what you'll find, from a live concert or a cooking class to a Q&,A with a local business owner.

2. Get Notified by Your Favorite Pages and Creators

What if you don't want to leave it to chance? If there are specific people, brands, or pages you want to watch, the best approach is to turn on their live video notifications. This way, your phone will ping you the moment they go live.

You can do this for any Page you follow. Here's how:

1. Navigate to the Facebook Page you want to receive notifications from.
2. Tap the three dots ("...") button, usually located near the "Like" or "Following" button.
3. From the menu that appears, select "Following" or "Follow settings."
4. In the notification settings for that Page, you'll see an option for "Live Videos."
5. You can set it to send you "All notifications," "Highlights," or none at all. To make sure you never miss a stream, choose "All notifications."

Now, every time that Page starts a live broadcast, you'll get a direct notification. This is the most reliable way to catch streams from sources you already know and love.

3. Use the Search Bar with Filters

If you're interested in live content about a specific topic but don't have a particular Page in mind, the search bar is your best friend. A simple search combined with a filter can quickly surface relevant live streams.

Here's the process:

1. Go to the search bar at the top of Facebook.
2. Type in a topic you're interested in, like "guitar lesson," "local news," or "startup Q&,A." For better results, you can add the word "live" to your search query (e.g., "guitar lesson live").
3. On the search results page, you'll see a navigation menu with filters like "All," "Posts," "People," and "Photos." Click on "Videos."
4. Now that you're in the video results, look for another filter button, often labeled "Live," and turn it on.

This will filter out all pre-recorded videos, showing you only live and previously live broadcasts related to your topic. It's a fantastic way to discover new creators and communities centered around your interests.

Advanced Strategies for Marketers and Creators

Going beyond casual viewing, creators and marketers need to be more strategic. You're not just watching for entertainment, you're conducting research, analyzing trends, and looking for opportunities. Here are a few ways to level up your discovery process.

Finding Live Content Within Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are hubs for niche communities, and many run exclusive live sessions for their members. These can be AMAs (Ask Me Anything), workshops, or member spotlights. Because they happen within a closed community, the engagement is often much higher and more authentic.

To find them:

• Join relevant groups: Find and join groups related to your industry, hobbies, or target market.
• Check the "Featured" or "Announcements" section: Admins often pin a schedule of upcoming live events here.
• Use the group's search bar: You can search for "live" or specific keywords within a group to find past streams and learn what topics resonate most with the members.
• Engage with the community: The more active you are, the more likely the algorithm is to show you when a group member goes live.

Conducting In-Depth Competitor Analysis

You can use the methods above to find competitors' live videos, but to turn it into useful analysis, you need to dig deeper. Don't just watch the live stream - analyze it.

1. Go directly to their Page: Don't wait for their stream to show up in your feed. Go to their Page and click on the "Videos" or "Live" tab.
2. Watch past live videos: The beauty of Facebook Live is that most streams are saved on the Page afterward. Watch a few of their replays.
3. Analyze the data: Look at the view count, comments, and shares on their past streams. Which topics got the most engagement? What day and time did they go live?
4. Read the comments: What are people asking? Are there common pain points or compliments? The comments section is a direct line into the minds of your target audience. You can find out what problems they need solved or what content they're hungry for.

Training the Facebook Algorithm to Work for You

Facebook is always trying to show you things it thinks you'll like. You can actively influence what it shows you. The more you interact with live videos on a certain topic, the more of that type of content will appear in your "Watch" and main news feeds.

To train the algorithm:

• Engage with relevant streams: When you find a live video about your niche, like it, comment on it, and share it.
• Follow Pages that go live often: Find influencers, news outlets, and brands in your industry that are consistent with their live schedule and follow them.
• Dismiss irrelevant content: If Facebook shows you a video you don't like, click the three dots and select "Show less." This gives the algorithm negative feedback, helping it learn what you don't want to see.

Over time, your "Live" feed will become a highly personalized source of content inspiration and market research, delivered right to you.

Final Thoughts

Locating Facebook Live videos is straightforward once you know where to look. By using the dedicated Watch hub, setting up notifications for your favorite Pages, and leveraging filtered search, you can easily find live content for either entertainment or professional research. For creators and marketers, digging into competitor streams and group videos provides an invaluable layer of insight that can elevate your own content strategy.

Once you've gathered all that inspiration from watching great live content, the next challenge is organizing your own content plan. We struggled with messy calendars and tools that made simple tasks difficult, which is why we built Postbase. Our visual content calendar helps you see your entire strategy across all platforms at a glance, making it simple to plan your pre-Live promotions and schedule repurposed content like video clips or highlight reels after your stream ends. It's all about creating a smooth, manageable workflow, so you can focus on building your community, not fighting with your software.