How to Save Facebook Videos: A Comprehensive Guide

Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms, with billions of users worldwide sharing content, including videos. From funny clips and motivational speeches to memorable moments from friends or interesting live streams, Facebook videos are a staple of the platform. However, not every user is aware that they can save these videos for later viewing or sharing offline. Whether you want to download a video to watch it when you have no internet connection or store it for sentimental reasons, saving a Facebook video can be a valuable feature.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore various methods to save Facebook videos. We’ll cover both mobile and desktop platforms, as well as third-party tools and apps that may help streamline the process. So, whether you are using Facebook on your smartphone or PC, here’s everything you need to know about saving videos from Facebook.

Table of Contents

1. Why Save Facebook Videos?
2. Saving Facebook Videos on Mobile (iOS and Android)
3. Saving Facebook Videos on Desktop
4. Third-Party Websites and Apps for Saving Videos
5. Legal and Ethical Considerations
6. Alternatives to Saving Videos
7. Conclusion

1. Why Save Facebook Videos?

Before diving into the technical aspects of saving videos, it’s worth understanding why you might want to save videos from Facebook in the first place. Here are a few reasons:

• Offline Viewing: One of the most common reasons to save Facebook videos is for offline viewing. Internet connections can be spotty or limited, especially while traveling or in areas with poor coverage. By saving videos, you can enjoy them whenever you want, without worrying about data usage or connectivity issues.
• Memory Preservation: Many people enjoy saving videos that capture significant moments, such as family celebrations, events, or memories. Saving these videos ensures that they remain accessible even after they are no longer available on Facebook or have been deleted by the original poster.
• Sharing with Others: Some users prefer downloading videos to share them outside of Facebook, such as via email or in other messaging apps. In such cases, downloading the video ensures you can access the content without needing to redirect others to Facebook.
• Archiving and Organization: For some, saving Facebook videos serves as a form of digital archiving. Whether for personal use, professional content creation, or research, having videos stored locally allows for better organization and access.

2. Saving Facebook Videos on Mobile (iOS and Android)

Saving videos on Facebook is different for mobile devices compared to desktop computers. Here’s how you can save videos on iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android devices.

On iOS (iPhone/iPad)

Unfortunately, Facebook’s mobile app does not offer a direct download feature for saving videos. However, there are workarounds to achieve the same result:

• Method 1: Use the Facebook App (Save for Later Viewing)
  1. Open the Facebook app and find the video you want to save.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the video post.
  3. Select Save Video. This will not download the video to your device but will add it to your Saved section on Facebook, which you can access later under the “Saved” tab in the app.
  4. Limitations: You must remain connected to the internet to watch videos saved in this manner.
• Method 2: Use a Third-Party App You can use third-party apps that allow you to download Facebook videos directly to your iPhone or iPad. Apps like Documents by Readdle or MyMedia are popular for this purpose.
  1. Download and Install a Third-Party App like “Documents by Readdle.”
  2. Go to the Facebook app and find the video you want to download.
  3. Tap the three dots on the video post and select Copy Link.
  4. Open the third-party app and navigate to its built-in browser.
  5. Go to a website like fbdown.net (which supports Facebook video downloads).
  6. Paste the link to the video into the input field on the website and press Download.
  7. Choose the quality and format you prefer (usually “Normal” or “HD”).
  8. The video will then download to the app’s storage, and you can move it to your phone’s gallery.

On Android

Android devices offer more flexibility than iOS when it comes to downloading videos. Here’s how to save videos directly to your Android phone:

• Method 1: Use the Facebook App (Save for Later Viewing)
  1. Open the Facebook app and navigate to the video you want to save.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the video post.
  3. Select Save Video. This will not download the video to your device but will store it in your Facebook Saved section.
  4. You can watch the saved video anytime within the Facebook app when you are connected to the internet.
• Method 2: Use a Facebook Video Downloader App Several Android apps allow you to download videos directly from Facebook to your phone. Apps like Video Downloader for Facebook and FastVid are good options.
  1. Install a video downloader app from the Google Play Store.
  2. Open the Facebook app and find the video you wish to download.
  3. Tap the three dots and select Copy Link.
  4. Open the video downloader app and paste the copied link in the designated area.
  5. Choose the resolution and download the video.
• Method 3: Use a Website to Download Videos Many websites allow you to download videos without needing an app:
  1. Find the video on Facebook and copy the video’s link.
  2. Open a browser and visit a site like fbdown.net or getfvid.com.
  3. Paste the link and click Download.
  4. Once the download options appear, choose your preferred video quality (Normal or HD).
  5. The video will download directly to your Android phone.

3. Saving Facebook Videos on Desktop

Saving Facebook videos on a desktop computer is often easier than on mobile devices, particularly since the browser interface allows you to access more tools and options.

Method 1: Save Facebook Videos Using the Browser

For Google Chrome, Firefox, or Edge users, you can save Facebook videos directly from your browser:

1. Open Facebook and find the video you want to download.
2. Right-click on the video and select Copy video URL.
3. Open a new tab in your browser and go to a website like fbdown.net or getfvid.com.
4. Paste the copied URL into the field on the website and click Download.
5. Choose the video quality you prefer (usually “Normal” or “HD”).
6. The website will generate a download link. Right-click and choose Save As to download the video to your computer.

Method 2: Using a Browser Extension

There are browser extensions that make saving Facebook videos even easier. Extensions like Video DownloadHelper or FB Video Downloader are good options.

1. Install the extension for your browser.
2. Navigate to the Facebook video you wish to download.
3. Click on the extension icon, and it should detect the video link.
4. Choose the download quality and format.
5. Download the video directly to your computer.

Method 3: Save Facebook Videos with Developer Tools (Advanced)

For more advanced users, the browser’s developer tools can be used to extract and download videos from Facebook.

1. Open the Facebook page with the video.
2. Right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect or press Ctrl + Shift + I to open Developer Tools.
3. Go to the Network tab, and then filter by Media.
4. Play the video and look for a file with a .mp4 extension in the network activity.
5. Right-click the link and select Open in New Tab.
6. Right-click the video in the new tab and select Save As to download the video.

4. Third-Party Websites and Apps for Saving Videos

There are many third-party websites and applications that allow you to download Facebook videos quickly and easily. Some of the most popular ones include:

• fbdown.net: A reliable website for downloading Facebook videos.
• getfvid.com: Another popular tool to download Facebook videos.
• SaveFrom.net: A multi-purpose tool for downloading videos from various social platforms, including Facebook.
• JDownloader: A desktop program that can download videos from Facebook and many other sites.

These tools work similarly to the methods described above and often allow you to choose between different video qualities (HD or SD).

5. Legal and Ethical Considerations

While it may be easy to save Facebook videos, it is important to consider the ethical and legal implications:

• Copyright Laws: Facebook videos are typically protected by copyright, and downloading or distributing them without permission may violate intellectual property rights.
• Respect Privacy: Many users upload personal or private videos to Facebook. It’s essential to respect the privacy of others when downloading videos, especially if they are not your own.
• Fair Use: If you’re downloading videos for personal use, such as for educational purposes or research, your usage may fall under fair use in certain jurisdictions. However, always ensure