Troubleshooting Facebook: Adjusting Watch to Display Shows Instead of Reels
Troubleshooting Facebook Watch: A Guide to Balancing Video Formats
Facebook's focus on Reels, short vertical videos, has led to an increase in their appearance in the Watch feed. However, if you're finding that your Watch feed is dominated by Reels and lacking a mix of video formats, here's how you can troubleshoot the issue.
1. Clear the app cache and data
Clearing the app cache and data on your device can reset any preferences or glitches affecting which videos are shown. This eliminates problematic corrupted files and forces all Facebook files to freshly re-download.
2. Update the Facebook app
Ensure you have the latest version of the Facebook app, as bugs affecting video feed display are often fixed in updates.
3. Adjust your Watch feed preferences
Interact with different types of videos (e.g., regular videos, shows) and use options like “See Less Reels” or “Not Interested” on Reels to signal your content preferences.
4. Log out and back in
Logging out and back in, or reinstalling Facebook, can refresh your account’s video recommendations.
5. Check for new settings or features
Sometimes platforms test different video displays regionally or per user. Be aware of any new settings or features Facebook may have introduced that prioritize Reels or short videos.
6. Report the issue to Facebook
If the issue persists, report it to Facebook via the Help & Support section so they can investigate a potential bug on their end.
While Facebook does not yet offer official user controls to fully customize the video format mix in the Watch section, actively interacting with and promoting longer videos or other formats may help diversify your feed over time.
In addition to the above steps, consider these troubleshooting measures:
- Restart your device to clear out temporary glitches or data conflicts.
- Disable browser extensions one by one to help identify any singular extension causing conflict with Facebook Watch.
- Keep web browsers and device operating systems up to date to resolve known flaws that could impair Facebook functionality.
- Test Facebook Watch on a different device to determine if the problem is specific to the user's account or their device/network/browser.
- Use Facebook Watch in Incognito mode to help identify something interfering with the default browser setup.
If you encounter a situation where Facebook Watch only shows Reels, it could be due to a bug or glitch. Reporting the issue to Facebook's customer service can provide them with exact details they can use to potentially spot larger issues and escalate reports to engineering teams.
Lastly, there's an option in Facebook app settings to set video preferences specifically for Reels within Watch. Clearing the Facebook Watch History can help return Watch to a more generic video sampling aimed to appeal to broad tastes. Disabling browser extensions and ad blockers can help eliminate the possibility of interference with Facebook Watch functionality.
- Engaging with a variety of video formats, such as regular videos and shows, on social-media platforms like Facebook might help balance your Watch feed and reduce the dominance of Reels.
- Developing an understanding of technology related to video preferences on Facebook, like clearing the Watch history and disabling browser extensions, can potentially improve the diversity of content in your Watch feed.
