How to Make Facebook Live Public

Going live on Facebook is a powerful way to connect with your audience, but that power vanishes if no one can find your stream. Having your broadcast accidentally set to Friends only means you’re missing out on new followers, customers, and community members. This guide cuts straight to the chase, showing you exactly how to make your Facebook Live public - before you start, while you're live, and from any device.

Why Your Facebook Live Needs to Be Public

Before jumping into the "how," it helps to understand the "why." Choosing the "Public" setting isn't just a technical step, it's a strategic decision that directly impacts your growth. When you’re building a brand, launching a product, or hosting an event, locking your content to a small group of existing friends undermines your entire effort.

Here are the three big reasons why going public is non-negotiable for anyone serious about growth:

• Maximum Reach: A "Friends only" stream is walled off. A "Public" stream is boundless. It can be seen by anyone on or off Facebook, allowing you to reach far beyond your existing network. Think of it as the difference between talking to a small room and broadcasting to an open auditorium.
• Viral Potential and Shareability: This is a big one. Only public posts can be shared by others. When a viewer shares your live video, it appears on their feed, instantly exposing your content to their entire network. This is how content goes viral and new audiences discover you organically. A friends-only stream blocks this vital sharing mechanism.
• Increased Discoverability: Facebook's algorithm actively promotes engaging public content. A public Live can be featured on Facebook Watch, show up in the news feeds of people who don’t follow you yet, and appear in search results. This discoverability is a free, powerful engine for audience growth that is completely turned off when your stream is private.

For personal life updates, the "Friends" setting is perfect. But for any creator, business, or community leader, "Public" is an essential switch that unlocks the full potential of the Facebook Live platform.

How to Make Facebook Live Public: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process is straightforward, but the location of the setting switch can vary slightly depending on your device. We'll cover both desktop and mobile so you're prepared no matter where you go live from.

On a Computer (Desktop/Laptop)

Going live from a computer gives you access to the Live Producer tool, which offers more control and features. It's the ideal choice for planned broadcasts, interviews, or streams where you might be sharing your screen.

1. Navigate to where you want to post. Go to your Facebook profile, a Page you manage, or a Group.
2. In the post composer box (where it says "What's on your mind?"), click the "Live Video" button. This will launch the Facebook Live Producer screen.
3. Find the Audience Selector. This is the most important step. On the left-hand panel, look just under your name and profile picture. You’ll see a dropdown menu that likely says "Friends" or "Only Me" by default. It's often accompanied by an icon of two people.
4. Change the setting to "Public". Click on this dropdown menu. A list of audience options will appear. Select "Public". It will be represented by a small globe icon. Once selected, the globe icon should be visible in the panel, confirming your stream will be visible to everyone.
5. Complete your setup. Now that your privacy is set, fill out the rest of your details. Add a compelling title and a detailed description for your broadcast on the left-hand panel. On the right, select your camera source, check your microphone, and you're ready.
6. Click the "Go Live" button at the bottom-left when you’re ready to start your public broadcast.

On a Mobile Device (iPhone or Android)

Spur-of-the-moment streams or on-the-go broadcasts are perfect for mobile. The setup is even quicker, but you still need to pay close attention to that audience setting.

1. Open the Facebook app and go to the Profile, Page, or Group where you plan to stream.
2. Tap the post composer ("What's on your mind?"), just as if you were creating a regular post.
3. From the menu that appears at the bottom, select "Live Video".
4. Locate the Privacy Button. This is your key step. Near the top of your screen, just below your name, you'll see a button that shows the current audience setting (e.g., "Friends" or "Friends except..."). You must tap this before going live.
5. Select "Public". Tapping the button will open up the "Select Audience" menu. Choose "Public" (the one with the globe icon) and then tap "Done." The button on your live setup screen should now display "Public."
6. Add your finishing touches. Tap "Tap to add a description..." to tell people what your live is about. You can also add effects, filters, or invite guests before you start.
7. When you’re set, tap the blue "Start Live Video" button at the bottom. Your broadcast will now be live and visible to the public.

Help! I'm Already Live. Can I Still Make it Public?

That feeling of panic when you realize you’re five minutes into a stream and only your friends can see it is completely avoidable, but if it happens, you can often fix it right from the broadcast.

However, it’s not ideal. Any engagement or shares you missed during those first few minutes are gone, and a sudden privacy change can sometimes take a moment to register for all viewers. Always try to set it before going live. But if you're in a pinch, here's how to fix it mid-stream.

Changing Privacy Mid-Stream (Mobile)

On your live video screen, look for the [...] icon (three dots). Tapping it should bring up a menu of options. Look for a command like "Edit Privacy" or "Edit Post". From there, you'll be able to switch the audience to "Public" and save the change.

Changing Privacy Mid-Stream (Desktop)

Within the Live Producer window on your computer, you should also have access to editing functions while live. Look for the three-dot menu [...] next to your post details on the left-hand panel. Click it and select "Edit Post". This will open a window where you can change the audience selector from "Friends" to "Public."

Setting "Public" as Your Default to Avoid Future Mistakes

If you find yourself constantly having to change your audience from "Friends" to "Public," it’s because Facebook remembers your last privacy setting and applies it to your next post. The best way to prevent future mistakes is to set "Public" as your account's default audience.

Here's how to do it for a personal profile:

1. Go to your Facebook profile page.
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right and select "Settings & Privacy" >, "Settings".
3. In the left-hand menu, navigate to the "Audience and Visibility" section and click on "Posts".
4. You'll see an option titled "Who can see your future posts?" Click the "Edit" button next to it.
5. Change the setting from whatever it is currently to "Public".

Now, all your future posts, including Facebook Lives, will default to the Public setting. Keep in mind, this affects all content, so you can always change the audience for a specific post (like a family photo) back to "Friends" before publishing it. For brand pages, this setting is almost always public by default, but for entrepreneurs using a personal profile, this is a game-changing fix.

Pro Tips for a Successful Public Live Stream

Getting the privacy setting right is step one. Here are a few extra tips to make the most of your public broadcast.

• Do a Private Test Run: Before a major live stream, always do a practice run. Start a Live video but set the audience to "Only Me." This creates a completely private stream that nobody else can see. Use this time to check your lighting, audio quality, and internet stability. When you're confident everything is working, end the test stream and start your real one with the audience set to Public.
• Remember Group Privacy Settings: If you're going live in a Facebook Group, the group’s privacy settings will always win. Even if you set your stream to "Public," if you're broadcasting inside a "Private" group, only group members will be able to see it. It can't be shared outside the group.
• Acknowledge Your New Audience: Public means strangers. As new people join, welcome them to the stream. Ask them where they're tuning in from. Answering comments from both followers and new viewers makes everyone feel included and encourages them to stick around - and maybe even follow your page.
• Repurpose Your Replay: A public live video doesn't die when the stream ends. The replay is a valuable content asset. Because it's public, you can grab the link and share it anywhere: in your newsletter, on your blog, or on other social platforms. A private replay, however, can't be shared or embedded at all.

Final Thoughts

Making your Facebook Live public is a small but critical tweak that transforms your broadcast from a private chat into a powerful tool for brand growth. By following the right steps to set your audience before you go live, you open the door to limitless reach, new followers, and genuine community engagement.

After your stream ends, keeping that momentum going is equally important. Instead of struggling with old-school tools to repurpose your video for other platforms, we find that a modern scheduler can make all the difference. With Postbase, we just download the public Live video, clip the best moments, and schedule them out as Reels, Shorts, and TikToks from one clean, visual calendar, ensuring our content continues to find new audiences long after we’ve gone offline.