How to download a Facebook video to your phone or computer
Facebook's own Save video option bookmarks the video inside Facebook; it never puts a file on your device. A real copy needs three things: a public video, its own link, and a browser that isn't the one built into the Facebook app. Here is the route on each device, and where the file ends up.
Updated November 11, 2026
Where the Facebook video ends up
- iPhone
- Share › Copy link
- Safari
- Files › Downloads
- Share › Save Video
- Photos
On iPhone: Facebook's own browser is the obstacle
Almost every failed download on an iPhone starts the same way: you tapped an isaveall link inside Facebook or Messenger and landed in the app's browser, which has no way to save a file. Its menu has Open in Safari; use that, or copy the address and open Safari yourself.
From Safari the rest is short. Confirm the download and the MP4 goes to Files, in Downloads, as facebook_ plus the video id. Open it there, tap Share, choose Save Video, and it sits in Photos ready for iMessage, WhatsApp or iMovie.
For a reel the Share arrow is on the right edge of the screen instead of under the post, and it gives a /reel/ address this page reads the same way.
- Android
- Share › Copy link, Lite too
- Chrome
- Download folder
- Gallery lists it
On Android, Facebook Lite included
Facebook Lite copies links exactly like the full app: open the video, Share, Copy link. Its browser is even more limited, so open Chrome, Samsung Internet, Firefox or Brave from your home screen and paste the address there.
Chrome writes the MP4 to the Download folder, with a notification while it transfers, and Google Photos or your gallery lists it soon after. On Samsung phones the file is also at My Files, Internal storage, Download, and tapping it once there wakes the media scanner when the gallery is slow.
Watch the size on mobile data: a long HD replay is far heavier than a reel, so Wi-Fi is the sensible choice for anything long.
- PC and Mac
- Address bar of the video's own page
- Any browser
- New tab
- Right-click › Save video as
On PC and Mac: find the video's own address
Scrolling the feed leaves the address bar on facebook.com, which points at nothing useful. Click the video, or the date under the post, so it opens in its own view: the address then reads /watch/?v=, /videos/ or /reel/ followed by the id, and that is what to paste.
Addresses ending in /posts/ describe the post around the video and sometimes come back empty. Share and Copy link under the video gives a clean one, and fb.watch links sent from a phone work as they arrive.
The download link goes to Facebook's servers, so a browser may play the video in a tab. Right click Download MP4 and choose Save link as. The file lands in Downloads as facebook_ plus the video id, H.264 with AAC audio.
Step by step
Check the video is public
Look at the audience icon next to the date of the post. A globe means anyone can watch it and it can be downloaded. Two silhouettes, a lock or a private group badge means it is served only to people who are signed in.
Copy the link
Tap the video so it opens on its own, then Share and Copy link. fb.watch, facebook.com/share/v/, /watch?v=, /videos/ and /reel/ addresses are all read. On a computer the address bar shows the same thing.
Open isaveall in Safari or Chrome
The browsers built into Facebook and Messenger cannot save files. Open your usual browser from the home screen and go to the Facebook video downloader page there.
Tap Download MP4
One file comes back: the HD rendition when Facebook generated one, SD when it did not. The MP3 row under it holds the audio alone, and the file is named facebook_ plus the video id.
Public, friends only, groups and lives
The audience icon is the whole test. A globe means anyone can watch, including our server, which visits Facebook logged out. Two silhouettes, a lock or a private group badge means the video is served only to a session, and being a member or a friend does not change that.
A live can be downloaded once it ends and the page publishes the replay as a normal video; a link copied during the broadcast comes back with nothing. Stories are not covered at all, because Facebook serves them to a session and they expire within a day.
To keep your own videos, including the ones only you can see, use Download your information in Facebook's settings. It exports the originals of what you posted.
HD, SD and the 30 minute MP3 limit
Facebook keeps an SD rendition of roughly 360p to 480p for every video, and an HD one at 720p or 1080p when the upload allowed it. You get the HD file whenever it exists; an SD download means Facebook never made anything better, which is common with old uploads.
The result shows no resolution beforehand, because Facebook's file carries no quality label; your player's info panel tells you afterwards. The 30 minute limit is for the MP3 row; the MP4 comes straight from Facebook, so a long replay usually still downloads.
Problems and fixes
Nothing downloads inside the Facebook app
You are in the browser built into Facebook or Messenger. Open the page in Safari or Chrome from its menu, or copy the address into a real browser.
The result says the video was not found
The video is not public: friends only, a private group or a private profile. Our server sees Facebook as a logged out visitor, so it cannot reach what your session can.
What I pasted was the caption, not a link
You copied the text of the post. Go back, tap Share under the video and choose Copy link, then paste that.
On my computer the address is just facebook.com
That is the feed. Click the video or the post's date to open it on its own, then copy the address, which now contains the video id.
The video is longer than 30 minutes
The 30 minute limit is for the MP3 row. The MP4 comes straight from Facebook and usually still downloads; if it doesn't, look for a shorter clip on the same page.
Save Video does not appear on my iPhone
Open the file from the Files app rather than from Safari's download list, and wait for the transfer to finish.
Quick tips
- Check the audience icon before you copy anything: the globe is the only one that downloads.
- Copy the link with Share under the video, not with the three dot menu, which offers the post's text.
- fb.watch links from WhatsApp or Messenger work exactly as they arrive, with no cleaning up.
- The MP3 row is the practical option for a talk, a sermon or a song posted by a page.
- Long replays are heavy: download them over Wi-Fi and check the free space on your phone.
Frequently asked questions
Where do downloaded Facebook videos go?
On iPhone, to the Files app, in Downloads, until you tap Share and Save Video to move them to Photos. On Android, to the Download folder, which the gallery lists. On a PC or Mac, the MP4 opens in a new tab: right-click it and choose Save video as.
How do I download a Facebook video to my computer without software?
Open the video on its own in your browser so the address shows /watch/?v=, /videos/ or /reel/, copy that address and paste it into the Facebook video downloader. The MP4 opens in a new tab; right-click it and choose Save video as. Nothing to install.
Does Chrome on iPhone save Facebook videos too?
Yes. Chrome on iPhone also saves to the Files app, in a Chrome folder; open the video there, tap Share and Save Video.
Does Facebook Lite change any of the steps?
No. Share and Copy link give the same address, and you paste it into a real browser afterwards. Lite's own browser is even more limited than the main app's.
Can I download a Facebook video that isn't public?
Not with a link tool. A friends-only video or one in a private group is served only to a signed-in session. For your own videos, look at Download your information in Facebook's settings.
Can I send the video straight to WhatsApp?
Save it first, then share it from Photos or your gallery. A browser download always lands in storage before another app can pick it up.
Why does tapping a link keep reopening the Facebook app?
Android and iOS hand facebook.com addresses to the app when it is installed. Paste the link into the browser's address bar instead of tapping it.