Solved: Are Facebook Ads Mostly Viewed on Mobile or Desktop?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! It's a great question you've asked, and honestly, the answer has some huge implications for how anyone should approach advertising these days. It seems simple on the surface, but it really gets to the heart of what works and what doesn't.

I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on this. The short answer is yes, overwhelmingly mobile. But the real lesson isn't just about screen size; it's about understanding the mindset and context of the person you're trying to reach. Get that wrong, and you're basically just burning cash, regardless of the device. I'll walk you through how to think about this properly, from the ad itself right through to your website and your core offer.

We'll need to look at the data (and why it's not even close)...

Okay, lets get the main question out of the way. Yes, Facebook ads are viewed almost entirely on mobile devices. It's not a 60/40 split; for most businesses, it's more like 90/10, or even higher, in favour of mobile. You can actually see this for yourself in the Facebook Ads Manager. If you look at the "Breakdown" reports for any campaign, you can select "Placement" and it will show you exactly where your ads were seen—Facebook feed, Instagram stories, etc.—and on which device type.

You're right that you personally use your desktop for surfing, and a lot of people in certain professions do. But think about the general population's behaviour. When do they use Facebook? It's in the gaps of their day. On the bus, waiting for a coffee, on the sofa watching TV, just before they go to sleep. These are all mobile-centric moments. It's an environment of distraction and interruption, and that's a critical piece of context.

This leads to the real question you should be asking: not "Mobile or Desktop?" but "How do I advertise effectively to a distracted person on a small screen?" Answering that question properly is the difference between success and failure.

I'd say you need to think like a thumb-stopper...

Because your audience is on mobile and scrolling fast, your ad creative has one job: make them stop. We call this being a "thumb-stopper". If your ad looks like every other post, it's invisible. If it's a landscape video forced into a vertical space with black bars, it looks unprofessional and gets ignored. You have to design for the medium.

This means:

• Vertical First: All images and videos should be in a 9:16 or 4:5 aspect ratio. It fills the whole screen and is much more immersive.
• The 2-Second Rule: You have to grab attention in the first two seconds. This means a strong visual hook, movement, or a bold text overlay that speaks directly to a problem.
• Assume Sound is Off: Most people watch videos without sound. You must use captions or text overlays to get your message across.
• Clear & Concise Copy: The message itself needs to be ruthlessly efficient. A great framework we often use is the Before-After-Bridge.

One campaign we worked on was for a home cleaning company. A bad, feature-led ad would say "We offer professional home cleaning services. Book now!". A much better ad using the Before-After-Bridge would say:

Before: "Another weekend wasted scrubbing floors instead of spending time with your family?" (Shows a quick shot of a messy kitchen).

After: "Imagine coming home to a spotless house, every single week, without lifting a finger." (Shows a shot of a sparkling clean home).

Bridge: "Our weekly cleaning service is the bridge to your stress-free weekend. Get your first clean 50% off."

See the difference? It connects with an emotional pain point, presents a desirable future, and then positions the service as the simple way to get there. This works far better in a fast-scrolling, mobile environment than a dry list of features.

You probably should fix your landing page before spending a penny...

This is, without a doubt, the single biggest point of failure I see in new client accounts. You could have the most compelling ad in the world, getting clicks for pennies, but if those clicks lead to a website that is slow, confusing, or just plain broken on a mobile phone, you have wasted every single pound.

You mentioned you only use your phone when you're "pinched for info". Think about that experience. If a website takes 10 seconds to load, or the buttons are too small to tap, or you have to pinch and zoom just to read the text, what do you do? You leave. Instantly. And so does every single person you're paying to send there.

Your website on mobile MUST be:

• Fast: Every second counts. More than 3 seconds load time and you're losing a huge chunk of potential customers.
• Simple: One clear headline, one clear call-to-action. Remove all distractions.
• Thumb-Friendly: Big buttons, simple forms, and easy-to-read text.

Don't just take my word for it. Play with the calculator below. See how a seemingly small improvement in your website's mobile performance can have a massive impact on your bottom line.

You'll need to know your numbers...

Finally, let's talk about the math. A lot of people get obsessed with metrics like Cost Per Click (CPC) or Cost Per Lead (CPL). While they are useful, they don't tell the whole story. The real question isn't "How cheap can I get a lead?" but "How much can I afford to spend to acquire a valuable customer?"

To answer that, you need to understand two key figures: Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). LTV is the total profit you expect to make from a single customer over the entire course of your relationship. CAC is what you spent to get them. A healthy business generally aims for an LTV:CAC ratio of at least 3:1.

Calculating your LTV changes everything. Let's walk through an example for a subscription business:

• Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA): What's the average monthly fee? Let's say £100.
• Gross Margin %: What's your profit margin on that? Let's say 75%.
• Monthly Churn Rate: What percentage of customers cancel each month? Let's say 5%.

The calculation is: LTV = (ARPA * Gross Margin %) / Monthly Churn Rate

So, LTV = (£100 * 0.75) / 0.05 = £75 / 0.05 = £1,500.

In this scenario, each customer is worth £1,500 in profit. With a 3:1 ratio, you can afford to spend up to £500 to acquire one. Suddenly, a £50 lead from a Facebook ad doesn't look so expensive if 1 in 10 of those leads becomes a customer. This is the math that allows you to scale confidently.

This is the main advice I have for you:

So, to bring it all together, it's not just a simple question of mobile vs. desktop. It's a chain of events, and every link needs to be strong. Here’s a summary of the approach you should be taking.

As you can see, there's quite a bit to it. Getting this right involves a blend of technical setup, creative strategy, and solid business math. It can be a lot to handle, especially when you're also trying to run a business.

This is where expert help can make a real difference. We specialise in navigating these complexities for our clients, ensuring that every part of the advertising process—from the audience targeting to the final conversion—is optimised to deliver results, not just clicks.

If you'd like to discuss how these principles could be applied specifically to your business, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation. We can review your current setup and give you some actionable advice you can implement straight away. Feel free to book a time that works for you.

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh