Facebook will only store live video for 30 days and then delete it
Facebook has announced that it will only store live videos on its social network for a maximum of 30 days. After this time, they will be removed. The videos were previously stored forever. The change goes into effect on Wednesday.
All live videos that are currently older than 30 days will be removed from the platform as part of this change. Users will be notified 90 days before videos are deleted and given the option to delete them or keep them. Users can download videos onto their devices, upload them to cloud storage or convert the content into a reel. In a blog, Facebook stated that “these changes align our storage policy with industry standards and ensure we provide the most current live video experiences on Facebook.” There was no further explanation provided.
Twitch is a major competitor to Facebook Live. It stores broadcasts from the past for Twitch Partners and Affiliates as well as Prime streamers for 60 days. The platform will store past live videos up to 14 days for regular streamers. YouTube, another popular place for live video, also stores broadcasts forever by converting them to a regular format (unless the user has disabled archiving).
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FacebookFacebook notes that if users need more time to download their old live videos, they can choose to defer deletion for six months. After that time, if they do not make a decision, their old videos will be deleted and they won’t have access to them. The social network has launched new tools for users to download their old live videos. Users can download all their old videos in bulk by choosing the “Download Live Videos” option when they receive the notification about the impending deletion. They can also click on the “Transfer Live Videos” option, and choose their cloud storage provider such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box. Facebook is using this change to push reels. It notes that users can convert their favorite moments of live videos to reels to keep on their pages.
