You uploaded a video to Facebook — and now you want it back. Maybe you're migrating to another platform, backing up your content library, or your phone broke and the original file is gone.
The good news: Facebook provides official tools to download your own videos. No sketchy third-party apps, no login sharing, no scraping. This guide covers every official method, in order of which one works best for your situation.
Method 1: Facebook's "Download Your Information" Tool (Best for Bulk)
Works for: Personal profile videos and reels, bulk exports, getting the original uploaded file
The most reliable way to get your Facebook videos is through Facebook's official data export — sometimes called DYI (Download Your Information).
Step-by-step
- Open a browser and go to facebook.com/dyi (or: Facebook → Settings → Your Facebook information → Download your information).
- You'll see a list of content categories. Uncheck everything except Videos (and Reels if you want those too). You can also check Photos if needed.
- Under Date range, select All time or a specific period.
- Under Format, leave it as HTML or switch to JSON — both include the actual video files as attachments.
- Under Media quality, select High. This gives you the closest version to what you originally uploaded.
- Click Request download.
- Facebook prepares your archive. This takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on your account size.
- You'll receive an email notification when the archive is ready. Click the link and download the ZIP file.
- Open the ZIP. Videos are in the
videosfolder. Each video is the file you uploaded.
What you get
- Original video files (MP4 format in most cases)
- Video thumbnails
- Post captions and dates
- All videos in one archive
Limitations
- Does NOT include videos from Pages you manage — that's a separate export (see Method 3)
- Facebook keeps the download link active for a limited time (usually 4 days), so download promptly after the email arrives
Method 2: Save Individual Videos via the Facebook App (Best for Reels)
Works for: Single reels or videos you posted, quick saves to your camera roll, mobile
If you only need one video or reel, saving it from the mobile app is faster than waiting for a DYI export.
For reels on iOS or Android
- Open the Facebook app on your phone.
- Go to your profile (tap your name or profile picture).
- Find the reel. You may need to tap "Reels" to see a grid of your posted reels.
- Tap the reel to open it.
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right of the reel.
- Tap Save video.
- The reel is saved to your device's camera roll / gallery.
For regular videos on iOS or Android
- Open the Facebook app.
- Find the video post on your profile.
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right of the post.
- Tap Save video.
Notes
- This only works for videos and reels you posted. The "Save video" option doesn't appear for other people's content.
- Quality: Facebook saves the compressed version, not your original upload. If you want the original quality, use the DYI export (Method 1).
- On desktop Facebook (browser), some older videos have a "..." menu → "Download video" option. This doesn't always appear and quality is still compressed.
Method 3: Download Page Videos via Creator Studio or Page Settings
Works for: Videos posted to a Facebook Page you admin
If the video is on a Facebook Page, the personal DYI export won't include it. Page content has its own download path.
Option A: Download from the Page directly
- Go to your Facebook Page (not your personal profile).
- Find the video post.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the post.
- If the option is available, click Download video.
Not all Page post types show this option — it depends on how the video was originally posted.
Option B: Page Settings export
- Go to your Facebook Page.
- Click Settings (or Page settings on mobile).
- Navigate to Your Facebook information → Download your information.
- Select Videos, set quality to High, and request the download.
- Facebook emails you a link for the Page's content archive.
Option C: Meta Business Suite / Creator Studio
Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com) sometimes shows a download option for individual Page videos through the Content → Published section. Availability varies.
Method 4: Use the Facebook Video Analyzer Tool
Works for: Checking what type of content a URL is before downloading, finding if a direct media URL is publicly accessible
If you have the URL of your video but aren't sure how to proceed, the Facebook Video Analyzer can help:
- Paste your Facebook video URL.
- The tool identifies the content type (watch video, reel, page video, share link).
- For publicly accessible Watch videos, it attempts to surface a direct media URL you can download immediately.
- For reels and private content, it shows the exact official steps for your content type.
This is useful when you've lost track of which method applies to a given URL format — the tool detects it automatically.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| Download all your videos at once | DYI export (facebook.com/dyi) |
| Save a single reel to your phone | Facebook app → Save video |
| Save a single regular video | Facebook app → Save video |
| Download Page videos (you're the admin) | Page settings export or Creator Studio |
| Get original upload quality | DYI export (choose High) |
| Unsure what URL format you have | Facebook Video Analyzer tool |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use third-party Facebook video downloaders?
Third-party tools that scrape Facebook video URLs exist, but most work unreliably because Facebook frequently changes its page structure and CDN URL signing. Many third-party sites also carry malware risk or require you to grant suspicious permissions. For content you own, the official methods above are more reliable and completely safe.
What if the "Save video" option isn't showing in the app?
Try force-closing and restarting the Facebook app. If the option still doesn't appear:
- Make sure you're viewing a video you posted (not someone else's)
- Try the desktop browser: go to facebook.com, find your video, click the three dots, and look for "Download video"
- Use the DYI export as a fallback — it always works for content you posted
Can I download a Facebook Live video after it ends?
Yes — if you hosted the live. After a live video ends, it stays on your profile as a regular video. Use Method 2 (app save) or Method 1 (DYI export) to download it. See our dedicated guide: How to Download a Facebook Live Video After It Ends.
Facebook makes it possible to get your own content back — it just takes knowing which official path to use. The DYI export is the most comprehensive method. For individual videos, the app's built-in save feature is the fastest.