On Facebook, a 360 photo can be viewed in every direction: ahead, behind, to the sides, up at the ceiling and down at the floor. The good news is that there is no special button to hunt for. You post the photo like any other, and Facebook displays it in 360 when it recognizes the file. Here is how it works, checked against Facebook's Help Centre on November 11, 2026.
What you need: a true 360 file
The important part happens before you post. Facebook automatically converts images into 360 photos when they come from tools it recognizes. Its help page lists four groups:
- 360 cameras, such as the Ricoh Theta S or Samsung Gear 360.
- Some phones and tablets: iPhone, iPad and Samsung Galaxy phones.
- Photo sphere apps, such as Street View or Google Camera.
- Stitching software, such as PTGui, which combines several images into a single 360 photo.
Facebook's list mostly names older models, so focus on the principle rather than the names. A photo taken with a 360 camera, or stitched by dedicated software, carries information embedded in the file that describes its spherical shape. That is what Facebook reads to decide how to display it.
Posting a 360 photo, step by step
Facebook's help pages describe posting from the mobile app.
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.
- At the top of your Feed or profile, tap Photo/video.
- Pick your 360 photo from your gallery.
- Drag the image to the angle you want people to see first.
- Choose who can see the post, then tap Post.
Button names can differ slightly from one version of the app to the next. Facebook's help does not walk through the steps on a computer, so posting from the app is the safest route.
Choosing a good starting view
By default, the starting view is the middle of the photo. That is not always the best angle: if the middle lands on a wall or on the tripod, the post will be easy to scroll past. At step 4, take a few seconds to drag the image toward something that invites people to look around, such as the entrance to a room, an open view or a shop counter.
Showing it as a regular photo instead
Prefer a standard photo? Before posting, tap the icon in the lower right corner of the image and the photo will be displayed flat, like any regular photo.
The opposite can also happen: a panorama may turn into a 360 photo without you asking. Facebook says a panoramic photo wider than 100 degrees may be converted automatically. You can then choose to display it as a regular photo.
If your photo shows up flat
When a spherical image appears as a long, distorted strip, Facebook has not recognized it as a 360 photo. Two simple checks:
- Post the original file, the one produced by the camera, its app or the stitching software, rather than a copy that has gone through an editing tool or a messaging app.
- Check the device: the photo needs to come from a 360 camera, a recognized phone or a photo sphere app.
360 photo or virtual tour?
A 360 photo on Facebook shows a single viewpoint. That is ideal for a post: a quick look inside a room, a job site or an event. A virtual tour links several viewpoints and lets the visitor move from room to room; it lives on a website or on Google Maps.
If that is what your business needs, Panosphere 360 produces the Google virtual tour, published in Street View, and the Matterport 3D virtual tour. See our virtual tour pricing or book your session online.
Sources: Upload or edit 360 photos on Facebook and devices you can use to create 360 photos, Facebook Help Centre, consulted November 11, 2026.