Facebook says it will delete new live broadcasts after 30 days, old videos will be removed too

Facebook is shaking things up! Starting February 19, 2025, the social media giant is hitting the reset button on how it handles live broadcasts. New live videos will get just 30 days in the spotlight before they vanish into the digital ether, and those dusty old streams lurking in your archives? They’re on the chopping block too. But don’t panic just yet — Facebook’s tossing us a lifeline with new tools and options to save our precious memories. 

A 30-day countdown for new lives

Picture this: you go live on February 20, 2025, to show off your latest dance moves or rant about the price of avocados. Under the new rules, that video gets 30 days to shine — replay it, share it, bask in the glory — before Facebook waves its magic wand and poof, it’s gone. This marks a sharp turn from the old days when live broadcasts were stashed away indefinitely. Now, it’s use-it-or-lose-it time, and the clock starts ticking the moment you hit “end broadcast.”

Why the change? Facebook’s reasoning is as straightforward as it is cheeky: “Most live video views happen within the first few weeks of broadcasting,” they say. Translation? They’ve noticed we’re a bunch of instant-gratification junkies who rarely revisit old streams. Plus, they’re keen to “align with industry standards” and keep the platform feeling fresh and zippy. Fair enough — nobody wants a cluttered attic full of forgotten livestreams, right?

Old videos are getting the boot in waves

Now, let’s talk about those vintage live broadcasts you’ve got stashed away. You know, the ones from 2020 where you tried baking sourdough and accidentally set off the smoke alarm? If they’re over 30 days old as of February 19, 2025, they’re on borrowed time. Facebook’s not pulling a sudden “delete all” stunt, though — they’re rolling out the purge in waves over the next few months. 

You’ll get a nudge via email and an in-app notification when your old videos are up for eviction. From that moment, you’ve got 90 days to play hero and rescue them. Miss the deadline, and they’re gone for good. It’s a bittersweet farewell to an era when Facebook was our infinite video vault, but it’s also a chance to curate your digital legacy with intention.

New tools to save the day

Facebook isn’t leaving us high and dry — they’re rolling out a toolkit to help us hoard our livestreams like savvy squirrels prepping for winter. Here’s the rundown:

• • Single download: Want to snag that one video where your dog photobombed your yoga session? Head to your profile or Page, hit the Videos tab (or Live tab on the web), pick your gem, go full-screen, tap the three-dot menu, and select “Download video.” Easy peasy. You can also dig through your Activity Log, filter for “Your live videos,” and pluck out individual clips by date.

• • Bulk download: Got a treasure trove of streams? When that deletion notification pops up, tap “Download live videos,” pick a date range, choose your device, and hit “Create File.” Boom — you’ve just bulk-saved your entire live video saga in one swoop.

• • Cloud transfer: Feeling futuristic? Tap “Transfer live videos” from the notification, select “Where,” link up your Dropbox or Google Drive, and press “Save.” Your videos zip straight to the cloud, safe from Facebook’s 30-day guillotine.

• • Reels remix: Want to keep the party going on Facebook? Clip your favorite live moments into bite-sized Reels (up to 90 seconds) and share them on your profile. It’s a fun way to give those highlights a permanent home — think of it as turning your livestream lemons into Reels lemonade.

Can’t decide what to do in 90 days? No sweat — Facebook’s got a “Postpone” button. Tap the notification, hit “Learn more,” then “postpone the deletion,” and confirm with “Postpone.” You’ll score an extra six months to mull it over, but after that, it’s decision time or bust.

This isn’t just about decluttering servers — there’s more at play. For one, storage isn’t cheap. With Meta pumping billions into AI and the Metaverse (we’re talking $65 billion annually, per some estimates), trimming the fat on video archives could free up cash for Zuck’s grand ambitions. Compare that to YouTube, which keeps livestreams forever as regular videos, or Twitch, which gives regular users 7 days and Partners 60. Facebook’s 30-day middle ground feels like a compromise — modern enough to stay hip, strict enough to save pennies.

There’s a privacy angle too. Less data sitting around means fewer headaches if a breach happens — something Meta’s keen to avoid after past scandals. And let’s be real: do you really need that blurry 2018 livestream of your cousin’s graduation speech clogging up the cloud? This shift nudges us to be pickier about what we keep, turning us into curators of our own digital stories.

For creators, this is a wake-up call. Musicians, gamers, and influencers who’ve relied on Facebook Live to connect with fans — like that indie band who streamed a rooftop gig during lockdown — now face a choice: save it or lose it. Some might jump ship to YouTube for its endless storage, but others will embrace the challenge, trimming their best bits into Reels and keeping the vibe alive.

For the rest of us, it’s a nostalgia trip with a deadline. That awkward first live you did when Facebook Live launched in 2016? The one where you accidentally flipped the camera and broadcasted your cat licking its paws for 20 minutes? It’s time to decide if it’s a keeper. 

What’s next? This could signal more tweaks to come. Meta’s been testing unskippable ads on Facebook (yep, just like Instagram), and with account recovery woes still popping up, they’re juggling a lot. Maybe they’ll push Reels harder, turning live snippets into the next big thing — or maybe they’ll surprise us with a curveball. Either way, Facebook’s keeping us on our toes.