How to Get Reels on iPad Facebook

Trying to find or create Facebook Reels on your iPad can feel like you're missing a key feature that everyone else has. You see Reels all over your phone, but when you switch to your tablet, the experience changes. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to find, watch, and most importantly, create and post Reels to Facebook using your iPad, even when the app doesn't make it obvious.

Why Can Facebook Reels Be So Hard to Find on an iPad?

First, it's not you - it's the app. The Facebook app for iPad often exists in a strange middle ground between the mobile iPhone app and the desktop website. Social media companies prioritize development for the most-used device: the smartphone. Because of this, features like Reels creation, which are designed for a vertical, on-the-go experience, often roll out first and most completely on phones.

The iPad version can sometimes lag behind in updates or present a user interface that more closely mimics the desktop view, where Reels are less prominent. This can result in a few common frustrations:

• The dedicated "Reels" button might be missing from your main navigation bar.
• The option to "Create a Reel" might not appear when you go to make a new post.
• The overall layout pushes video content into the "Watch" tab, mixing Reels with longer-form videos.

Don't worry, though. While the direct path might be hidden, there are reliable workarounds to get your video content posted as a Reel from your iPad.

How to Watch and Engage with Reels on Your iPad

Even if the main "Reels" button is missing, you can still find the short-form video feed. Here are a few places to look:

1. Check Your Main Feed: As you scroll through your primary Facebook news feed, Reels from friends, groups, and pages you follow will appear automatically. You'll recognize them by their vertical format and the Reels icon. Tapping on one will open the full-screen, swipeable Reels viewer.
2. Go to the "Watch" Tab: Look for the TV-like icon labeled "Watch" in your navigation menu (usually at the top or bottom of the screen). Inside this tab, Facebook often features a dedicated "Reels" section. While you'll also find other video formats here, it's a common place for the Reels feed to live on the iPad app.
3. Visit a Creator's Profile: If you navigate to the Facebook Page of your favorite creator or brand, you can often find a "Reels" tab on their profile, just like on mobile. This will show you a grid of all the Reels they have posted.

The Creator's Guide: How to Get Reels Published From Your iPad

This is the big question for marketers and content creators. You've edited your brilliant vertical video on your iPad's large screen, and now you want to post it without transferring it to your phone. It is possible, but it requires a slightly different workflow than you might be used to on your iPhone.

The direct "Create Reel" button can be intermittent at best on the iPad app. Don't rely on it. Instead, focus on this reliable, two-step workaround: create the video first, then upload it in a specific way.

Step 1: Create and Edit Your Video Content First

Your iPad is a fantastic video editing device. Use its power to your advantage! Instead of trying to film and edit inside the sometimes-clunky Facebook interface, prepare your masterpiece beforehand.

• Use a Dedicated Editing App: Apps like CapCut, InShot, or LumaFusion give you far more control than the native Instagram or Facebook editor. You can precisely trim clips, add text overlays, work with multiple audio tracks, and add professional-looking transitions.
• Get the Format Right: Make sure your video is in a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio (1080x1920 pixels). This is the standard for Reels, TikToks, and Shorts, and will ensure it fills the entire screen on mobile devices.
• Handle Your Audio: Many creators find it easier to find and add trending audio within a dedicated app like CapCut, which is synced to TikTok's sound library (many sounds cross over). Alternatively, you can edit your video with your own original audio or royalty-free music.
• Save It to Your Photos: Once your video is complete, export the final cut and save it directly to your iPad's Photos library. A video length of under 60 seconds is ideal for the following steps to work smoothly.

Step 2: Use the "Video Upload" Method

This is the most consistent way to post your pre-made video as a Reel from an iPad. You essentially "trick" Facebook into offering the Reel format.

1. Open the Facebook App on your iPad.
2. Start a New Post. Tap the "What's on your mind?" box at the top of your feed, just as you would for a regular status update.
3. Select "Photo/Video". This will open your iPad's photo library.
4. Choose Your Edited Video. Find the vertical video you just created and saved. Select it and tap "Done."
5. Look for the Prompt. Here's the most important part. Because you've uploaded a short, vertically-oriented video (typically 60 seconds or less), Facebook will often recognize its potential as a Reel. You may see one of two things:
   • A button or toggle appears that says "Share as Reel" or "Post as a Reel." Tap this! It will open the Reel editor, where you can add a caption, hashtags, and finish posting.
   • An options screen pops up asking if you'd like to post as a Reel or a regular video. Choose "Reel."
6. Add Your Finishing Touches. Once you're in the Reel editor, write your compelling caption, add your relevant hashtags, tag any accounts, and then hit the "Share Now" or "Post" button.

This method works most of the time because Facebook is actively pushing users to create and share Reels. By providing it with a perfectly formatted piece of content, you're making it easy for the platform to suggest the format it prefers.

Alternative Method: Use the Meta Business Suite App

If you manage a Facebook Page for a business, brand, or creator, the Meta Business Suite app is your best friend. Unlike the main Facebook app, the Business Suite is built specifically for creators and marketers. Its features are often more stable and comprehensive.

The process here is much more direct:

1. Download the Meta Business Suite app from the App Store on your iPad.
2. Log in and select the Page you want to post to.
3. Tap the "Create" or "+" button, then select "Reel."
4. This will open a creator interface that is much more reliable than the main app's. You can upload your pre-made video, write your caption, and schedule your Reels in advance or post it from there.

For anyone serious about content creation, using Business Suite is the recommended path because it also allows you to schedule your Reels in advance and get better analytics.

A Final Option: Using the Safari Browser

If the app methods are failing you completely, you can always try using a web browser on your iPad, such as Safari or Chrome.

1. Open Safari and navigate to Facebook.com.
2. Log into your account. The layout will look similar to the desktop version of Facebook.
3. Go to the creator tools or your Facebook Page. Often, the upload options here are more detailed than on the consumer-facing app.
4. Look for the Business Suite tools (accessible from the left-hand menu) or a "Create Reel" button within the publishing tools.

This path can sometimes feel clunky, but it’s a solid fallback if the app itself is giving you trouble.

The inconsistent Reels experience on the Facebook iPad app is a common point of frustration, but it doesn't have to be a barrier to your content strategy. By shifting your workflow to creating your video first in a dedicated editing app, you can use the standard video upload process to reliably post your content as a Reel every time.

Getting your videos created and posted is only half the battle, of course. For creators and marketers, the real work lies in organizing and managing content across multiple platforms. We built Postbase to solve this very problem. After exporting that perfect Reel from your iPad editing app, you can use our visual calendar to plan when it goes live on Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube Shorts, and then schedule it everywhere at once. It’s designed from the ground up to make managing short-form video feel simple and streamlined, not chaotic.