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
These steps were tested using Chrome browser and should be the same for Mac and Windows.
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 a video on the official Tom’s Guide Facebook page(opens in new tab).
2. Click Share and then click Copy link.
3. 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 a full URL starting with https://www.facebook.com.
4. Now change the URL in the address bar so that “www.” is changed to “mbasic." and press Enter.
5. You’ll now be presented with an ugly mobile view, as seen below. Press the play button to start the video. It should open in a new tab. If it doesn't, right click the video and select Open in a New Tab.
6. Right click on the video and click Save Video As.
7. Choose a location in your file explorer and save the video.