Thousands of churches rely on Facebook Live to stream and store videos of their services. As of February 19, 2025 (source), Facebook has updated its policy regarding live videos and will begin deleting videos automatically according to the following scenarios:
New videos: new live broadcast videos can be replayed, downloaded, or shared from your Facebook Pages or profiles for 30 days, after which they will automatically be removed from Facebook.
Older videos: for live videos currently older than 30 days, Facebook will remove them from the platform. Before these archival live videos are deleted, users will be notified by email and in the Facebook app, providing a 90-day window to download or transfer the content.
Previously, these videos were stored indefinitely. To quote Facebook:
"Because most live video views occur within the first few weeks of broadcasting,we’re updating how long live videos can be stored on Facebook. These changes will align our storage policies with industry standards and help ensure we are providing the most up-to-date live video experiences for everyone on Facebook."
To preserve your live videos, Facebook offers several tools:
- Individual Downloads: Access your Activity Log, filter for "Your live videos," select the desired video, and choose the download option.
- Bulk Downloads: Upon receiving a deletion notification, you can request a bulk download of all your videos within a specified date range.
- Cloud Transfers: Transfer videos directly to cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive.
Postpone Deletion: If immediate action isn't feasible, there's an option to postpone deletion for up to six months.
Additionally, users can convert segments of their live videos into Reels, which remain on their profiles. However, Reels have a 90-second duration limit.
Time to Consider a Backup Plan
While Facebook is great for reaching people, it’s not a reliable place to store your church’s videos long-term. If you don’t want to constantly worry about losing content, it might be time to consider a church-specific solution that is proven, reliable, and will be around for the long run.
Church Plant Media offers church-friendly live streaming with built-in media hosting. That means you’ll have complete control over your content—no surprise deletions!
Our solution offers:
- HD video (720p and 1080p)
- Live DVR and Trimming
- Simultaneously broadcast to your website, mobile app, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, & OTT apps
- Broadcast from your Mac, PC, phone, tablet, camera, appliance, and more
- Complementary setup
You can learn more or book a demo.
What Should Your Church Do Now?
- Check your live videos and make a list of the ones you want to keep
- Download and save anything important before it’s gone
- Think about using a different platform for better long-term storage
The bottom line? Don’t wait until it’s too late! Facebook’s new policy is already in effect, so take a few minutes now to protect your church’s content.
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