A few users recently messaged us asking why ‘Facebook is not loading pictures’. If you are facing the same problem or have asked the question, continue reading the guide.

Below, we have discussed the most prominent reasons Facebook fails to load pictures. The problem can appear on both desktop and mobile, and there are certain things you can do to fix it.

Why Facebook Pictures Not Loading?

Facebook may fail to load pictures due to various reasons. Below are some of the most prominent reasons Facebook pictures fails to load.

• Slow or No internet connectivity.
• The picture has been removed.
• The servers of Facebook are down.
• Outdated Facebook app cache.
• Incorrect Data Usage Settings.
• Corrupted App Installation Data.
• Data Saver Mode on Facebook.

These are some of the most prominent reasons Facebook pictures are not loading.

Now that you know all the possible reasons for Facebook pictures not loading, you should resolve the issue. Below, we have shared some of the best methods to resolve the issue.

1. Check Your Internet Connectivity

Be it ethernet, WiFi, or Mobile data, you need to ensure that your internet connection is working. Even if it works, you must check whether the internet connection is stable.

A drop in internet connection often leads to such a problem. Not only Facebook, but you may also experience similar issues even on other social networking sites like Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Hence, you need to open your web browser and visit fast.com to confirm your device has an active internet connection.

2. Check if Servers of Facebook are down

Server outage is another major reason Facebook fails to load pictures. If you are experiencing pictures not loading on Facebook problem on both desktop & mobile, there’s a higher probability that the servers are down.

When Facebook servers are down, you won’t be able to use most of the platform’s features. You won’t be able to view the images, play videos, check post comments, etc.

So, before trying the next methods, visit the Facebook Server Status page at Downdetector. The site will tell you whether there’s a problem with Facebook’s servers.

3. The Admin has Removed the Picture

If Facebook is not loading the picture shared on a particular group, the Admin may have removed it.

A Facebook group admin can remove whatever group members share. For example, if an admin thinks that a picture violates the group’s rules, they can remove it immediately.

So, you must ensure the admin has kept the picture you’re trying to view. You can contact the admin and ask for the picture.

4. Check the Facebook Data Usage Settings

If photos are loading as black boxes, empty boxes, or broken images, you need to check if images are enabled in your phone’s mobile web browser settings. Here’s what you need to do.

1. First, open the web browser on your mobile and sign in to your Facebook account.

2. Next, tap on the hamburger menu at the top-right corner.

3. On the next screen, scroll to the bottom and tap Settings.

4. On Settings, scroll to Media and tap on Photo Quality.

5. Now, you will find three options for Photo Quality: High, Medium, and Low.

6. If the Photo Quality is set to ‘Low,’ you won’t see the photos. So, make sure to set it to Medium or High.

5. Enable Unrestricted Data Usage for Facebook App

Unrestricted Data Usage is an Android smartphone feature that allows your phone to use mobile/WiFi data even when the data saver is turned on. If the Facebook app has restricted data usage enabled, the pictures will fail to load or load in low quality.

Hence, you must allow the Facebook app to use unrestricted data even when the data saver is turned on. Here’s what you need to do.

1. First, long-press the Facebook app icon on the home screen and select App Info.

2. On the App Info screen for Facebook, tap on Data Usage.

3. Toggle on the Unrestricted Data Usage option on the Data Usage.

6. Disable the Data Saver Mode on Facebook

Facebook has a data saver mode that saves up to 40% of data usage by reducing the video quality. This feature is often the culprit for the Facebook app not loading the pictures issue.

The feature is turned off by default, but if you’ve enabled it before, follow these steps to turn it off.

1. Launch the Facebook app on your smartphone.

2. When the Facebook app opens, tap on your profile picture at the top right corner.

3. On the next screen, expand the Settings  Next, tap on the Cellular or Mobile Data Usage.

5. On the next screen, uncheck the Data saver option.

After making the change, close and reopen the Facebook app on your smartphone. Then, check whether the pictures show up.

7. Check the Facebook Posts in a Browser

If certain pictures in a Facebook post are not showing in the Facebook app, you need to check those posts in a web browser.

You can use a mobile web browser like Google Chrome to check your Facebook post. This will open the mobile version of Facebook. Alternatively, you can check those posts in a desktop web browser.

8. Clear the Facebook App Cache

Corrupted or outdated cache files can sometimes trigger problems like pictures not loading on Facebook. To resolve this problem, you can clear the Facebook app cache. Here’s what you need to do.

1. First, long press on the Facebook app icon on your home screen and select App Info.

2. On the App Info screen, tap on Storage Usage.

3. On the Storage Usage screen, tap on Clear Cache.

9. Close all VPN/Proxy Connections

Using VPN and proxy connections often leads to problems with the media not loading on Facebook. This is because when you connect to a VPN, the app tries to connect to a different server.

When a connection to the server fails or experiences any problem, images fail to load. Not only the images, but also the comments on posts won’t load. So, disconnect the VPN or Proxy connection and recheck the picture.

10. Disable Ad Blocker/Extensions

If you are using a desktop web browser, such as Google Chrome, to access Facebook, you need to turn off the ad blocker or any other extension that you’ve recently installed.

A few malicious extensions can conflict with Facebook’s functionality. Hence, you need to disable extensions manually, one by one.

If you are using the Facebook app and experiencing problems while viewing pictures, you need to switch to the Google DNS server.

11. Update the Facebook App

The version of the Facebook app you are using may have a bug that’s preventing images from loading properly.

You can eliminate such bugs by updating your Facebook app. To update the Facebook app, open the Google Play Store, search for Facebook, and tap the Update button.

On iPhone, you need to rely on the Apple App Store to update your Facebook app. Once updated, open the Facebook app again and check the post.

12. Reinstall the Facebook App

If nothing worked in your favor, the last thing you can try is reinstalling the Facebook app.

Whether you’re facing the issue on your Android or iPhone, you can try uninstalling the application and installing it again from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Also read: How To Download Facebook Videos Without Any Tool

These are some of the best ways to fix Facebook pictures that don’t load. If you need more help fixing this problem, let us know in the comments. Also, if the article helped you, share it with your friends.