How to Download Facebook Videos and Reels (Phone and PC)

Facebook's Save video option only adds the video to a list inside Facebook. It isn't on your device, and it's gone if the page deletes it. To keep a real copy you need the MP4 file. Here is how to get it.

Step by step

Find the video or Reel on Facebook. Tap Share, then Copy link.
Open the Facebook Video Downloader and paste the link.
Pick HD or SD and the download starts.

Getting the link in the Facebook app

Tap the Share arrow under the video. Copy link is usually in the bottom row of the share sheet; on some phones you need to scroll that row sideways or tap More options. Links copied from the app often look like fb.watch/abc123/ or facebook.com/share/v/…. Both are fine.

Getting the link on a computer

Click the video so it opens on its own, then copy the address from your browser. facebook.com/watch/?v=…, facebook.com/PageName/videos/… and facebook.com/reel/… all work.

HD or SD?

HD is the better picture, normally 720p or higher, and a bigger file.
SD is smaller and downloads much faster. On mobile data, or for a long video, it's often the sensible choice.

If only one option appears, Facebook only has that version.

"The video opened in a new tab instead of downloading"

This is deliberate for very large files. Long videos can be over a gigabyte, so instead of passing them through our servers, the downloader sends you straight to Facebook's own copy of the file. When that happens:

On a computer: right-click the video and choose Save video as…
On Android: tap the ⋮ on the video player and choose Download.
On iPhone: tap the share button, then Save to Files.

Why some Facebook videos can't be downloaded

The video isn't public. Posts shared with Friends, posts in private groups, and videos on private profiles can only be seen when logged in. A downloader sees what a logged-out visitor sees, which is nothing.
It's a live stream that's still running. Wait until it ends and is published as a normal video.
The video was removed.

A quick test: open the link in a private or incognito window. If Facebook shows a login page, the video isn't public and no downloader will reach it.

Can I download Facebook photos?

No. Facebook doesn't show photo pages to logged-out visitors at all, so there is nothing for a link-based tool to fetch. Any site claiming otherwise will ask you to log in, which you should never do on a third-party website. Facebook itself lets you save a photo: open it, tap ⋯ and choose Save photo.

Keep it fair

Download your own videos, videos from pages that allow it, or clips you have permission to keep. Re-uploading other people's videos to your own page is the fastest way to collect copyright strikes on Facebook. See is it legal to download videos from social media?