2016 is finally almost over, and what do we have to show for it? I mean, I realize that's a loaded question at this point — but at the very least, we have our personalized Facebook Year in Review videos. If you're wondering how to watch your Facebook Year in Review video, worry not! It's pretty simple... once you have the option available to your account. That's the catch: You may not have it immediately. It'll be rolling out over the course of the month, though, so once yours is ready, finding where to watch it is a breeze.
Facebook creates a general Year in Review video annually that captures the highlights of the previous year on a global scale. While this is super cool in itself, Facebook also allows users to view a personalized Year in Review video that pulls highlights from their page. You then have the option to "share" your personalized Year in Review with your Facebook friends so everyone can relive the fun memories, celebrate your accomplishments, and so on.
Like most things Facebook comes out with, accessing your Year in Review video is pretty simple. There is one issue worth pointing out up-front: As I learned myself, not everyone has the ability to watch their video right this very minute. The feature appears to be rolling out gradually; those for whom the feature isn't live yet will, upon trying to watch it, receive a message informing them that their video isn't ready yet and encouraging them to come back later. (Bustle has reached out to Facebook for more information.)
If, though, your video is ready, there are a couple of ways you can view your Facebook Year in Review video:
1. Follow The Alert On Your Phone
If you have the Facebook app installed and your video is available, you may receive an alert on your phone letting you know. If so, follow the alert and boom! There is your video. You can get a sense of what the video looks like on your phone from the image above.
2. Search "Year in Review" on Facebook
You know that search bar function on Facebook that is so handy for finding those long-lost friends from middle school? If you type "year in review" there, the link to your video should be the first suggestion that pops up, as you can see above. Simply click on it and see if it delivers your video — or if it informs you that your Year in Review isn't ready yet.
3. Go Directly To The Year in Review Page
You can also simply go to the Year in Review page to see your video (click through to get there!). Here, you also have the option to "edit" your video by replacing or removing posts.
Social media isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and 2016 definitely was not an easy year for a lot of us — but there is always something good to look back on and be thankful for. And if social media can help us feel even a little bit better, that's an awesome thing.
Images: Lucia Peters (2), Tanya Ghahremani/Bustle
