Facebook Cover Video Got Cancelled, What Now?

A Facebook cover sits on top of your business or personal profile page and constitutes a valuable piece of your brand’s online real estate. Since these visuals are the first thing people see when they land on your Facebook page, they help your brand stand out, capture your audience’s attention, and win them over.

However, as of April 2021, the Facebook cover video feature is no longer available. Now that there’s no option to upload a Facebook cover video, you might be wondering—what does this mean for my brand, considering how powerful videos are for driving engagement?

“Deprecation“ in the tech/software world means that a function is being removed and will be replaced by newer features in future updates. This article will discuss Facebook cover video deprecation in detail, what this means for your business, and other excellent ways to attract attention and keep visitors engaged with your page.

Let’s dive right in.

That’s Right; Your Facebook Cover Video Feature Is Gone

If you manage Facebook pages or regularly make the most of Facebook features, you’ve probably already noticed a major adjustment. Facebook cover video options are not available. Yes, you read that right.

Sometime in 2017, Facebook introduced the cover video feature as part of its revamped design to enable users to capture audience attention and boost engagement. However, as of April 2021, Facebook silently removed this feature just a few years after its launch. At the time of this post, the company hasn’t released a press statement, post, or anything else stating why they removed the cover video feature.

You will notice that the option to “Choose from Video” is no longer showing on the Edit menu of the cover page. Suppose you already had cover videos on your page before the update. In that case, you’d also notice that Facebook has replaced your cover video with the thumbnail image or screenshot of the previously uploaded video.

But what does this mean for users? 

Well, Facebook support mentioned that the feature was in the process of removal and would not be available, so it’s bye-bye to the Facebook video cover. Unfortunately, this means that businesses have to find other ways of grabbing attention and boosting engagement—but more on that in a minute.

Why Did the Facebook Video Cover Get Removed?

Since users discovered there’s no option to upload Facebook cover videos, they’ve been brainstorming about what to do. As a result, various online forums are filling up with users asking questions about the depreciation, with no official answers from company representatives.

With video covers being such an incredible and important feature, it’s unclear to anyone why Facebook scrapped the idea. Even a quick Google search doesn’t reveal why, and Facebook hasn’t released any information about the rationale behind their decision. Although Facebook has confirmed via its support channels that the cover video feature is deprecated, their silence about why has raised additional questions.

Many users find this decision somewhat surprising because Facebook introduced their video covers all the way back in 2017. Not only that, but many users think adding cover videos to Facebook was an excellent enhancement, as it provided a richer user experience.

Facebook Cover Video History

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to show you how cover videos have evolved. When this feature was introduced, the cover video would only play when viewing it through a web browser. However, when viewed through the Facebook mobile app, only the video screenshots or thumbnails would display.

A few years later, Facebook extended their support for cover videos to the mobile app, allowing users to enjoy a well-rounded viewing experience on both web and mobile devices. While users are still searching for answers to why Facebook decided to pull the plug on this feature, there have been several speculations.

Most people assumed Facebook wants to focus on promoting other video-based features like the Facebook Story and Facebook Reels. Other users think the decision is related to the various challenges associated with cover page videos.

For example, over time, users have had to deal with video dimension differences between mobile and web, as well as other issues such as:

• Facebook cover videos not playing on mobile.
• Not being able to upload or use video on cover pages, or the video upload taking longer than necessary.
• Pixelated or blurry cover videos on some devices.

Whatever the real reasons are, two things are clear.

1. No one knows why Facebook removed the video cover. Additionally, there’s no assurance the feature will be reintroduced in the future.
2. With the recent name change from Facebook to Meta, it’s clear the company has its sights set on significant feature enhancements, like the recently launched Facebook Reels.

What You Can Do Instead

Since there’s no option to use videos, GIFs, or animations on your Facebook cover page, you’re probably faced with the dilemma of losing engagements or potential sales. But don’t worry; there are some options that can pack the same punch as a Facebook cover video.

As you search out alternative content types that can engage, inform, and entertain viewers, here are a few suggestions for your Facebook business page:

• Create a captivating photo collage that tells a story.
• Upload beautiful images and update them regularly.
• Double down on using more videos on your Facebook feed.
• Use the Facebook “Slideshow” feature to create a slideshow.

These options should pack the same punch as directly uploading a Facebook cover video if done right. Let’s walk you through how you can use these options to your advantage to leverage engagement with your viewers.

Create a Facebook Cover Photo Collage 

One of the benefits of the Facebook video cover was its ability to deliver more information than a static image. Enter the photo collage—a tried and true social media format that helps businesses to reach the same goal.

Online collage makers are a great option for giving your cover photo a facelift. Because they are the first impression a user gets when visiting your page, here are a few key things to keep in mind when choosing images for your collage:

• Make sure the image is on brand
• Create a collage that is the right Facebook cover size and dimensions
• Use only high-resolution images
• Go for color—according to Xerox, colorful visuals can help drive up sales by up to 80%, so keeping this in mind when you create a Facebook cover collage is important

How to Create the Perfect Facebook Cover Photo Collage 

An effective strategy for creating an eye-catching Facebook cover is to tell a story with a collage. As mentioned previously, using a photo collage for your Facebook cover can provide you the opportunity to show off various aspects of your brand—whether it’s products you offer, events you have attended or put on, or community activities your brand has been a part of.

Having a diverse array of photos is essential, and color always brings any visual element to life. Promo.com offers an easy-to-use collage maker that creates story-telling Facebook covers in just a few easy steps.

One of the key benefits of using a collage maker is the tools you can access and how you can reveal different aspects of your brand through the perfect photos and design. Promo.com makes it super easy with a preset template formatted specifically for Facebook cover photos that already has the correct dimensions according to Facebook’s specifications. Here is a quick step-by-step guide on how to create a compelling collage with Promo.com.

Open Promo’s Online Collage Maker

Click the Template tab on the left menu bar to reveal the template categories.

Select the Classic Tab to reveal the Facebook cover photo template.

Once you have chosen the template, you can access the Add Photos tab on the left to add the images you want in your project. You can easily add your own photos to your Photo Bucket for your project with the Photo Library tab or the My Upload tab. You can also use the plus sign in the template frame in the same way.

Access the Photo Library or add your own photos.

Browse the Photo Library

When adding photos, keep in mind that you can search for the theme or idea you want in the Images library with the search bar. You have access to a variety of images to add creativity to your project from the Images gallery powered by Getty Images and iStock.

Add Photos to the “Photo Bucket.”

When you are finished choosing up to 7 photos, click on Add to Project, and each photo will appear in your Photo Bucket on the right. Then click Done.

Try different shuffle options.

You can use the Shuffle Order tab to click through variations of order for your Facebook cover. Once finished, click Done to move on to the publishing page.

From the Publish page you can upload directly to your Facebook, other social media, or download directly to your computer.

Promo’s free version will put a watermark on your banner, but if you are a subscriber, you can create a really cool Facebook collage cover without the watermark.

Additionally, Promo offers a few nifty features to spice up your cover with a “Sticker” tab that gives you some choices to add stickers and the ability to colorize the template frames as well as around the edges.

Because Promo’s Facebook cover template is formatted specifically for Facebook covers, there is no need to adjust the size or edit anything once you’re finished.

Use Facebook’s Slideshow Feature

Facebook allows users to create slideshows or add a series of up to five images to their cover page. This can be an incredible opportunity to turn your Facebook image library into something special and valuable for your business.

By creating a Facebook slideshow cover photo, you can captivate your audience quicker than you might have imagined. Not only that, but using this option enables you to:

• Tell your brand story.
• Educate viewers and get them interested in your brand. 
• Walk your audience through a series of complex processes or narratives.

To top it off, using Facebook slideshow cover photos helps you reach people in markets with slower connections or older devices. That’s because they consume far less bandwidth than videos. 

How to Create a Slideshow on Your Facebook Business Page

So we’ve shared other incredible ways of engaging your audience on your Facebook page, even without a video cover. Now, let’s take a look at how to utilize the slideshow feature.

Since Facebook video covers are no longer playing, this feature allows viewers to manually flip through slides containing a collection of static images.

Here’s how to create a slideshow on Facebook business page

1. To get started, go to your Facebook page.
2. Next, click on Edit in the bottom right of your page’s cover photo, and you’ll find three options:
   • Choose from Photos – select any photo previously saved in your Facebook image library.
   • Create Slideshow – upload new photos or select pictures previously saved on your Facebook page library.
   • Upload Photo – upload a new image for your Facebook cover.

    

   

Note: If you want to create a slideshow, you can either upload new photos or choose images previously saved on your Facebook page, or you can also let the FB choose images for your slideshow by using the toggle located in the upper left.

3. Click ‘Create slideshow.’ You’ll find five placeholders to add a maximum of 5 images.
4. Go ahead and click each image placeholder to upload from your device or select images from your Facebook image library.

Alternatively, you can opt to allow Facebook to automatically fill your slideshow with five random images from your image library.

5. Once you’ve added your preferred photos, click each photo and drag it up or down to reposition it.
6. Click Save Changes. That’s it! Your slideshow is ready for viewing

It is important to note that you can’t create a cover photo slideshow on your Facebook profile page. It must be a business Facebook page that you manage.

Important Specs

Before you go ahead and create a Facebook cover photo slideshow, here are some things you should keep in mind. Facebook has specific dimension requirements for cover images.

Image Quality and Resolution

To achieve the best visual display and quality across multiple devices, make sure your business Facebook cover photo is:

• About 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on desktop devices.
• Around 640 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall on smartphones.
• A minimum of 400 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall.

If your pictures are below these dimensions, they will appear pixelated or blurry. Plus, some parts of the slideshow images may be cut off.

When it comes to image file size and format, ensure your file is in JPG format and RGB color model. For cover images with logos or text, you may achieve better results with a PNG file.

Tips for Making Your Facebook Cover Slideshow Effective and Engaging

We’ve shared the basics of creating and uploading stunning Facebook cover slideshows. However, that’s not enough to make your brand stand out. 

Want to make your Facebook cover page engaging and successful? Here are some valuable tips to help you achieve that.

Follow the Guidelines

Beyond the specifications (dimension, size, and resolution) we’ve shared earlier, Facebook has additional cover photo guidelines. 

Here are a few of them you should keep in mind.

• Ensure you’re not using copyrighted material or infringing on anyone’s copyright, trademark, or legal rights in any way
• Be sure your cover photo is suitable for most ages and family-friendly. 
• Your cover photo shouldn’t contain nudity, racist language, violence, hate speech, or discrimination. 
• If you’re advertising a product or service, make sure to follow Facebook’s advertising rules.

We recommend that you read through the entire Facebook page guidelines. If you violate any of these rules, Facebook could take action against your business page.

Attention to the Right

While designing your Facebook cover slideshow, ensure you balance your imagery with a focus on the right-hand side, where Facebook’s call to action (CTA) is located. You could even have an arrow pointing to the CTA.

Doing this will draw the audience’s attention to the call to action button located right below the cover photo.

Not only that—cover photos are aesthetically pleasing when the focal point is moved to the right. Since the profile picture is on the left, aligning objects to the right offers an additional sense of balance.

Here’s an excellent example of using the right aligned focus on Samsung’s Facebook page.

Aim Big and Keep It Simple

Your Facebook banner is strategically placed to provide visibility and grab audience attention. So make sure to avoid tiny text or blurred images. Using large text or visual elements will make your page visible whether it is viewed on desktop or mobile.  While you may have all that space to work with, don’t be tempted to fill it with excess information. Viewers will quickly drop off if your page is busy and distracting.

Make sure to keep your design simple. This will attract viewers’ attention, help them digest information quickly, and spur them to take action.

Nike’s Facebook cover photo is an excellent example of using simple yet captivating visuals to convey powerful messages.

Optimize for Mobile

According to Statista, 98.5% of Facebook users access the platform via mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. 

With such a large number of people favoring mobile over desktop, you want to keep mobile users in mind while designing your Facebook slideshow cover photo.

Avoid putting anything important like images or texts too far to the right to avoid awkward crops on mobile devices. Imagine there’s a rectangle in the center of your canvas while moving key elements into perspective.

All in all, ensure your cover photos are visually adept and convey the same message on desktop, tablet, and mobile. 

Upload Compelling Images and Change Them Frequently

Whether you’re using your Facebook page to generate leads, build an active community, or close sales, stunning Facebook cover photos can help you reach your goal. They can provide a major facelift and transform your page into a choice destination for prospects and customers.

People won’t just flip through your page. Rather, they’ll check you out and engage with the rest of your content. You’ve got a lot of digital real estate to show off your brand positively, so how do you create and optimize your Facebook cover photo to bring in the results you need?

First off, your cover page is the first thing that greets your Facebook audience. So you want to avoid using abstract images that don’t communicate any information to your viewer. This could make your prospects leave your page quickly, before you get a chance to engage or convert them.

What’s next? Go ahead and grace your cover page with eye-catching Facebook images that provide information about your brand.

More Facebook Best Practices

Add More Videos as Posts

With more and more viewers favoring videos over text, using static images or collage on your Facebook cover photos isn’t enough. You can add more videos to your Facebook posts to keep viewers glued to your page.

Think about the last time you watched an interesting video and how it made you feel. You’re not alone; others love it too. Videos pique interest, increase exposure for your brand, and help you grow your business. They entertain, engage, and outperform other content types in terms of views, social shares, and conversions. You’ll need a handy video cropper that will instantly change the size of your video to Facebook’s preferred size for posts. Blurry or unfocused videos are sloppy and can hurt your marketing efforts.

Plus, since attention spans are getting shorter, use our video cutter to shorten your videos and be more effective in getting into customers’ minds, creating genuine and long-lasting connections.

Add Captions to Your Videos

Beyond using videos more often, be sure to follow best practices like adding captions to increase engagement. Facebook makes it easy for users to automatically turn sound on or off for News Feed videos. In fact, 85% of Facebook videos are watched on mute. 

So what does this mean for your brand? Adding captions can make your videos useful and appealing to people who can’t or won’t turn on sound. Captions are also effective for reaching audiences who are hard of hearing or don’t understand the native language in your video. With texts narrating what’s happening in the video, you can quickly win your audience over. 

And the best part? You don’t have to be an expert to make stunning Facebook videos that deliver excellent results. 

With Promo’s video maker, you can create and professionally-made videos that make your brand stand out. You can also use Promo’s caption maker to add video subtitles that make your viewers feel smart.

Use Facebook Stories

Since the feature’s launch in 2017, Facebook Stories have witnessed massive adoption and incredible success. This feature allows businesses to wow their audiences with bite-sized posts, images, and videos that will display for 24 hours.

You’ll also find something similar on all major social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and more.

If you’re not already taking advantage of Facebook Stories, now is the time to get started. Here’s why you should. According to Meta, over half a billion people use Facebook Stories every day.

That’s not all. In a survey by Meta for Business, 75% of people in the US say Facebook Stories are immersive, while another 62% say they can’t get enough of them. Other people are drawn to Stories because they are authentic and make them feel closer to trends.

Facebook Stories make your brand discoverable, increase audience interest, and inspire action. About 58% of people say after viewing a product or service in a Story, they’ve visited the website to get more information. In addition, viewers expect stories that offer tips and advice, showcase new products, and are easy to understand.

If you’re looking to drive deeper connections with your audience, sharing captivating Facebook Stories is an excellent place to begin.

Facebook provides different options and tools for sharing your Stories, including:

• Text (for creating text-based stories)
• Music (for making music-based stories)
• Gallery (to share photos or videos from your device)
• Boomerang (for taking photos in rapid succession and converting them into videos and animations)
• Green Screen (for taking pictures and placing them on preset backgrounds)
• Poll (for asking questions and conducting polls to get viewers’ opinions, etc.)

Start by sharing interesting content, real-time updates, and even the bigger moments with customers as they happen. By doing this, your audience will always have something to look forward to.

The results? Customers will become hooked to your page and share your content with others, leading to increased brand visibility. And over time, you’ll earn their unwavering trust and loyalty.

By connecting with prospects in this immersive environment, you can extend your reach and drive more of the results that matter to you.  Here’s what makes it even better. Facebook Stories are displayed prominently at the top of every newsfeed, where viewers will take notice. They could make up for losing that video cover feature because they are not far from the top of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Facebook remove the Facebook cover video feature?

Currently, as of this post,  no one knows why the Facebook cover video feature has been removed. Perhaps it’s because they want to  focus more on stories or newer feature enhancements like Reels, Live Audio Rooms, Sound Studio, etc.

Why is there no option to upload a Facebook cover video?

As of April 2021, Facebook has removed the option to use video as a Cover. Since there’s no option to upload Facebook cover video, users are left with options to use static images or slideshow. You can use Promo.com to make stunning and engaging Facebook cover photo slideshows that inspire your audience to take action. 

Facebook cover video is not working – Will it be back?

It’s unlikely that Facebook’s cover video feature will make a comeback in the future. But you can compensate for the absence of this feature in many ways. You can showcase your brand, grow your community and reach new audiences by 

• Creating beautiful collages with Promo.com.
• Uploading stunning photos and changing them frequently. 
• Adding more videos to your post. 
• Engaging your audience with Facebook stories etc.

How to create a slideshow on Facebook business page

To create a slideshow on your Facebook business page, simply click on Edit at the bottom right of your cover page. Click on Create slideshow. Select existing Facebook photos or upload up to 5 images from your devices, reposition them and tap Save changes.  

Final Words

There you go. As you can see, losing the Facebook Video Cover feature may have seemed like a drawback at first. However, this has opened the door to other exciting ways of engaging your audience and promoting your brand – it’s a win-win.