Learn step by step how to go live on the Facebook Mobile App, either iPhone or Android!
And you’ll find out why your Facebook live videos are sideways!
NOTE: The one thing about Android that’s different is that there is no “wrench & screwdriver” option, so you can’t flip the screen.
✅ HOW TO TRIM FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO
✅ HOW TO SCHEDULE A FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO
✅ HOW TO START A SCHEDULED FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO
✅ GET STARTED WITH LIVE STREAMING
62 thoughts on “Why your Facebook LIVE videos are sideways”
So if I start a live video from the Group page that I’m an admin on the video is alway portrait mode. I can turn my phone to landscape mode and then start the video but it always tells me to rotate my phone back to portrait mode. Is that jus how it works on live videos started on the group page?
When i’m just on my personal page and start a live video I can start it in either orientation just fine. Why is it different?
I wish we knew! LOL That is Facebook for you. I do not understand why it is so different from page, to group to profile. I have seen people do landscape from their phones in a group, but am not sure what device they were on etc. Sorry I can’t be more help.
When I follow your (excellent) instructions, the landscape video shows as distorted. It looks stretched across the screen and I can’t tell what is being recorded live. I have an iPhone 11 pro.
So strange! I go live with that exact same phone and it is fine for me. Are you sure you are not using some other app or something? Using the native Facebook app, and not the pages app?
I just recorded two test videos to Facebook Live (set just to Only Me). Both were filmed with my iPad in landscape mode, and viewed normally while filming. When I saved and posted them, the first came up in landscape and the second flipped sideways. I had made no changes between the two feeds. Seems like this might be a Facebook issue?
It is indeed, and the worse thing is, it’s not consistent. Seems to vary by account/user as well as device. They just seem so inconsistent with their code and launches.
The Facebook app does not rotate on iPhone X. They thought we wouldn’t need it an disabled that feature. Correct or incorrect? The Facebook app from App Store no longer rotates on iPhones…rotates on android fine and iPad. What to do now that I upgraded to iPhone and lost my most used feature
You are incorrect. @Luria uses an iPhone X and it works just fine. We think it may actually be different by account/user. But that has not been verified.
Kerry – you said you got it to work by following the ‘order stipulated here’ but there are so many posts and suggestions, would you might clarifying the exact steps that worked for you. Nevermind if you’re not using an iphone 11. That’s the only device not working for me. Thank you!
Hey Sandi, we just added a new video TODAY, so can you watch that and see if that helps?
Still an issue. I’m a competent tech guy/filmmaker, but FB Live mode will not reflect my landscape orientation, no matter what I do or when I do it. It’s infuriating, IMHO…
Try this. Hit the live button on Facebook in the app. Then add your title etc. Once that is done and you are ready, THEN rotate your phone to landscape. Make sure that you do NOT have orientation locked in your main settings of your phone, as that can cause it not to rotate. Let me know if that helps.
I followed your directions for Facebook Live on iPhone 11, and when I rotated to landscape the picture stretched into a crazy distortion. Help!
We have seen many people having this issue. Can you do me a favor, and uninstall, and reinstall the Facebook app, and then watch the NEW video we just posted today, and see if that fixes anything.
this worked for me thank goodness!!! Nothing else was working – super frustrating – so the trick is to press the live button, turn the phone (in my case iPhone) THEN actually go ‘live live’ – thank you – this is the only fix I have seen that works 🙂
Hey I’m trying everything on 8plus both options.
After I hit go live regardless if I started in landscape or portrait it’s send a message to not rotate my phone during recording. Can’t get it to stay in landscape mode for live feed
Yeah, this is frustrating. Can you watch the NEW video we just added to the page today and see if this helps you?
You are an effing genius. This was driving me out of my mind. Adding a title was the fix!
Hey David Foster, your solution works perfectly and simply. Thanks for providing it!
Awesome!! Glad it helped!
You just saved my life… ok, just my sanity. Thanks so much!!
lol! Both are great! Glad we could help! 🙂
Does this work for the front camera also? Do you know?
Yes, it will work with any of your phones cameras in most cases.
Where is the quiz? I went to the link and it says its not there.
That is the quiz. Where is the quiz?
I see a difference if I am using my front camera or my back camera on my iPhone 11. The back cameras work in landscape, but the front/selfie camera does not seem to want to.
I guess go with what works! haha
I start my live videos in landscape mode and it appears to record fine and then posts it sideways. Very frustrating- using iPhone 11 Pro ,
Same
I have turned my phone to landscape and then tried to start the live and it won’t. I was doing it fine and I can turn my phone and it does landscape but not in live. I’ve checked locked screen, it’s on standard and I start when it’s in landscape. Help
Honestly, you think it’s the easiest problem to fix.
I have an iPhone 11 and it will not do landscape mode on FB live.
It works fine on other phones, but not mine.
The turn-your-phone-sideways answer isn’t it.
I have found no answers to this problem yet.
You’re definitely doing something wrong. I have the iPhone 11 as well, and can go live in landscape no problem. When you open the app, try starting in landscape, and see what that does. Let us know.
I have been shooting video for years and I am pretty tech savvy. I have been researching for days on this issue to figure this out. I thought I had a fix and it worked the first time I tried it, but on the day to go live streaming it still went to portrait mode. Can you go over it step by step so the ones of us that still have the problem can see what you do? If you can shoot video of it and post it that would be good.
Larry, we JUST added a new video today. Can you watch this and let us know if this helped?
I had the same problem with my iPhone. I turned my phone into landscape mode before I started my live feed, and my video still came out sideways. Obviously, there is some kind of bug or something more to this, and blaming people for “doing something wrong” is not helpful. I have successfully shot video for YouTube and my website, and I only have this problem with Facebook.
Have the very same issue have tried locking screen but the second I bring up Facebook it turns no way Rou d it very frustrating
I am having the same problem with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. I have even deleted the app and reinstalled and still no luck. And yes, I have check to see if the landscape mode is on lock, it is not.
I have tried EVERYTHING to get my iPad to livestream to Facebook in widescreen/landscape format. I have tried turning the iPad before opening the Facebook app, before starting the recording, I have tried locking the screen, etc., etc., and no matter what I do, I get that silly prompt telling me to turn the iPad upright before recording. If I don’t turn, it records sideways.
We buy all of these HD/widescreen tv’s and computer monitors and phones and tablets, and STILL they want us recording in stick mode? I just don’t get it.
By the way, I can easily do Facebook live in widescreen on my Windows tablet and on my Samsung phone. But the iPad refuses to do it.
Unfortunately, FB gets very buggy, and we’re seeing several people complain about problems just like you’re describing unfortunately. Report it to Facebook every time and for now, just use the devices that are working. I know that’s a sucky answer, but when FB acts up, there’s not much you can do. 🙂
I have all the problems mentioned so far….except I successfully had a landscape picture fb for about three lifestreams with my iPhone 11. I am still using the same technique…..and have also tried everything mentioned in all these comments….but now, when I follow the procedure I had success with, the picture, in landscape, stretches the picture out so my recliner looks like a couch. I contacted my carrier….the gentlemen tried to tell me what to do….which I had already done. So, he tried his iPhone…..his picture was also stretched. He said to contact Facebook, that it must be an fb problem. Frustrating trying to livestream our church services during this pandemic! Any other suggestions?
Sorry, we really can’t offer any help. It is indeed a Facebook issue, and unfortunately we will have to wait for them to get it fixed, and who knows how long that will take. 🙂 You could try streaming with your PC or Mac with the webcam or something that would be better quality. Or just go ahead and stream in portrait mode until it gets fixed.
How do you get your Samsung to work mine flips as soon as I go to Facebook
So frustrating as I cannot get my iPhone to turn in horizontal mode while in Facebook no matter what I do. What gives?
Do you have the Screen Rotation lock on?
If that’s off, then open the FB app, then click on start a live post, THEN turn to landscape, THEN go live.
That option isn’t working in Facebook Pages Manager right now. I’m on an iPhone X with all the most recent updates. The regular Facebook app will switch to landscape before going live. But not the Pages Manager. And this is a massive problem because I prefer to use Pages exclusively for going live on my page so that I don’t accidentally go live on a personal profile or in a group!
The page app is really bad though, so I recommend you use the personal app, not pages to get it to do what you want.
THANK YOU! Your comment solved the problem. I was clicking live when I was already in landscape, and it wasn’t working. You have to do it in the order you stipulate here and then it works. Thank you again. This has been a headache we have been trying to resolve for several days.
Thanks a lot. I was about to give up. Simple solution once you know the right combination.
YAY! 🙂
I shot my livestream in landscape postion but when I viewed it later in facebook, it is turned sideways. boooooo!
https://www.facebook.com/onetruecalling/videos/625829298157744/
I am interested in learning how is the best ways to do a Live Streaming video
Well, then you came to the right place! LOL! Here’s the perfect place to start – https://livestreamingpros.com/tech
Hilarious. “MUST turn your phone into landscape mode BEFORE you go live”….and then doesn’t tell you HOW TO DO IT! Not very helpful for a ‘how to’ video.
It’s pretty clear to me. You don’t know how to put your phone into landscape mode?!? If not, then you may need more help than we can offer. 😀
Ugghhh …. nasty, arrogant answer!
Mark, go here, they explain it better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQmxuf6n9H8
I Suck David Foster!
That wasn’t nasty and arrogant, it was just to the point, as I try to answer things as quickly as possible to move on to the next topic.
Can you repost a link to your video? We have random issues with Facebook live sometimes posting vertical and sometimes posting correctly. There is no rhyme or reason it would seem. Using the same phone every time. Not changing any settings.
Hi Fawn 🙂 Hope this helps!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx91LpYX4GA&t=1s
I completely heard your reply with the smile on your face as you posted. You answer was just fine!
Do you really not know how to rotate your phone sideways? It’s actually taking the device in your hand and turning it 90 degrees. Does that help?
That is pretty clear to me. Do you not know how to rotate your phone into landscape mode?? If not, then you may need more help than we can offer. 🙂