How to download video from Facebook post

Want to know how to download videos from Facebook? You’re in the right place. Downloading videos from Facebook is useful for a range of reasons, namely so that you can watch them wherever you are — internet or not.

Unfortunately, there’s no official way to download videos from Facebook, as there are with some of the best streaming services like YouTube Premium or Netflix. You might have seen the button next to clips on the site which saves “Save video”, but all this does is add the video to a saved videos list, essentially a favorites list, so you can watch it later on the app or website.

Luckily, there is a way to download videos from Facebook, and it works on desktop and mobile. You must ensure, however, that there aren’t any copyright restrictions on the video you’re downloading before you get started. Otherwise, you might land yourself in hot water.

It;s also worth bearing in mind that the uploader of private videos may now want you downloading them — after all, they are probably private for a reason. 

Once you’ve made sure to check both of the above, here’s how to download Facebook videos.

How to download videos from Facebook on desktop 

1. In your desktop browser, go to the Facebook website [opens in new tab] and find the video you want to download. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll use the most recent video on the official Tom’s Guide Facebook page [opens in new tab]. 

2. Click the video that you’re interested in. When the clip starts playing, click the three dot button on the right-hand side of the video. 

3. In the drop-down menu that opens, click “Copy link." It’s the fourth item down.  

4. Paste this link into a new browser tab. It may be shortened to an "fb.watch" link. If so, press Enter so it expands and you should be left with something that looks like the link in the screenshot below.

5. Now change the URL in the address bar so that “www” is changed to “mbasic." 

So, in the example above, //www.facebook.com/watch/?v=267770804789936 becomes //mbasic.facebook.com/watch/?v=267770804789936. 

Press Enter, and you’ll be presented with an ugly mobile view, as seen below.

6. Right click on the video and select “Open link in new tab."

7. In the new tab, the Facebook video will be the only thing on display. Right click it, and choose “Save video as” to download the video to your computer.   

How to download videos from Facebook on mobile 

Downloading Facebook videos on mobile is a whole different kettle of fish, and while there are apps that claim to do it, a far simpler way is to use the website FBDown.net [opens in new tab]. This works on Android and iOS, but you'll need to download the Firefox browser [opens in new tab] on an iPhone or iPad, as the FBDown.net site doesn't load properly in Safari.

Bear in mind that this method only works on publicly shared Facebook videos.

1. Open the Facebook mobile app and log in. 

2. Find the video you want to download, and press the ‘Share’ button underneath. 

3. Swipe across until you find the option labelled “Copy Link." Tap it. 

4. Open your mobile browser [remember, to use Firefox [opens in new tab] if you’re on an iPhone] and head to www.fbdown.net. 

Paste the video URL into the box in the middle of the page, and press “Download." 

5. On the next page, press the link to download in either “Normal Quality” or “High Quality." This will impact the file size and how much space the video takes up on your mobile device. 

6. This will open another page showing just the Facebook video. Long-press the clip and then tap “Download video” when the option appears. 

The video will now be saved to your mobile device, where you can play it offline and keep it for as long as you want.

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Now you're familiar with how to download videos from Facebook, you may also want to learn how to hide Likes on Facebook or how to make yourself anonymous on Facebook. Or if you think emojis are so last year, check out how to make your own Facebook avatar.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.