This article explains how to watch Facebook Video on your Apple TV using the Facebook Video app. It also includes information on how to use AirPlay to stream Facebook video from an iOS app to the Apple TV.

What to Know

  • On Apple TV, download the Facebook Video app from the Apple TV App Store. Log in with Facebook.Locate a video in your Facebook news feed on your iOS device.Tap the video to expand it to full-screen mode. Tap the TV icon and select Apple TV.

Watch Facebook Video on Apple TV With App

Like many social networks, Facebook wants to play a role in your video-sharing life. Currently, there are two ways you can watch Facebook videos on your Apple TV—by downloading the Facebook Video app on your Apple TV or by streaming the video from your iPhone or iPad to the Apple TV using AirPlay.

As long as your iPhone or iPad is on the same network as your TV, you can use the Facebook Video app to watch videos on the Apple TV. To download the Facebook Video app for Apple TV:

  • Go to the Apple TV app store on the Apple TV.
  • Download the Facebook Video app and select Log in with Facebook.
  • On your iOS device, go to Facebook and enter the code that appears on your Apple TV screen into the confirmation field. If you don’t see it, go to facebook.com/device. You only have to do this one time.
  • Locate a video in your Facebook news feed on your iPhone or iPad.
  • Tap the video to expand it to full-screen mode.
  • Tap the TV icon and select Apple TV.

How to Watch Facebook Video on Apple TV Using AirPlay

You don’t have to have the Facebook Video app to stream Facebook videos on your Apple TV from your iPhone or iPad. You can use AirPlay instead. Just:

Go to the Apple TV app store on the Apple TV.

Download the Facebook Video app and select Log in with Facebook.

On your iOS device, go to Facebook and enter the code that appears on your Apple TV screen into the confirmation field. If you don’t see it, go to facebook.com/device. You only have to do this one time.

Locate a video in your Facebook news feed on your iPhone or iPad.

Tap the video to expand it to full-screen mode.

Tap the TV icon and select Apple TV.

  • Turn on the Apple TV.
  • Go to the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad.
  • Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center.
  • Tap the Screen Mirroring button.
  • Tap Apple TV from the screen that opens.
  • Your Facebook screen displays on the TV.
  • Scroll to a video in your Facebook news feed and tap on it to open it in its own screen. It will start playing automatically on the Apple TV.
  • To expand the video to full-screen, tap the full-screen icon at the top of the screen on your iOS device.
  • Tap the video one time on your iOS device as it plays to bring up the familiar video controls at the bottom of the screen along with other controls. You can pause and restart the video, rewind, and see how long the video lasts.
  • When you are finished with the video, tap the X in the upper left corner of the iPhone or iPad screen to return to the Facebook news feed and scroll to additional videos.
  • When you are finished watching Facebook videos, you can stop streaming to your Apple TV in two ways:
  • Tap the last video you watched to bring up the controls at the bottom of the screen. Tap the TV screen icon and then tap your iOS device (or any device other than Apple TV).
  • Open Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, tap the Screen Mirroring icon, then tap Stop Mirroring.

Why Facebook Is Focused on Video

Social video has grown dramatically. Cisco claims that soon, video will account for around 80 percent of global internet traffic with nearly a million minutes of video shared every second of the day.

Turn on the Apple TV.

Go to the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center.

Tap the Screen Mirroring button.

Tap Apple TV from the screen that opens.

Your Facebook screen displays on the TV.

Scroll to a video in your Facebook news feed and tap on it to open it in its own screen. It will start playing automatically on the Apple TV.

To expand the video to full-screen, tap the full-screen icon at the top of the screen on your iOS device.

Tap the video one time on your iOS device as it plays to bring up the familiar video controls at the bottom of the screen along with other controls. You can pause and restart the video, rewind, and see how long the video lasts.

When you are finished with the video, tap the X in the upper left corner of the iPhone or iPad screen to return to the Facebook news feed and scroll to additional videos.

When you are finished watching Facebook videos, you can stop streaming to your Apple TV in two ways:

  • Tap the last video you watched to bring up the controls at the bottom of the screen. Tap the TV screen icon and then tap your iOS device (or any device other than Apple TV).
  • Open Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, tap the Screen Mirroring icon, then tap Stop Mirroring.

Facebook’s entire business is based on engagement, and to remain relevant in this heavily video-focused future, it wants to provide a route to the kind of video experiences people seek.

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