How to Download Facebook Videos: 5 Free Methods That Work in 2026

Facebook is one of the largest video platforms in the world, with billions of video views every day. Whether you want to save a cooking tutorial, keep a family memory shared by a friend, archive a Facebook Live recording before it disappears, or repurpose your own content for another platform -- there are times when you need to download a Facebook video to your device. The problem is that Facebook does not offer a universal download button for every video. The built-in options are limited, and what is available depends on whether you uploaded the video yourself or someone else did.

This guide walks you through five proven methods to download Facebook videos in 2026 -- covering desktop browsers, online downloader tools, mobile apps, command-line utilities, and Facebook's own built-in features. Each method includes step-by-step instructions, so you can pick the one that works best for your situation.

Quick Comparison: All 5 Methods at a Glance

Before we dive into the details, here is a side-by-side comparison of every method covered in this guide:

Method	Platforms	Quality Options	Private Videos	Requires Install	Difficulty
Facebook's Built-in Download	Desktop, Mobile	Original quality	Own videos only	No	Easy
mbasic Browser Trick	Desktop, Mobile	SD only	No	No	Easy
Online Downloader Tools	Desktop, Mobile	SD, HD, Full HD	Some tools support	No	Easy
Mobile Downloader Apps	Android, iOS	SD, HD, Full HD	Varies	Yes	Easy
yt-dlp (Command Line)	Windows, Mac, Linux	All available formats	Yes (with cookies)	Yes	Advanced

Method 1: Facebook's Built-in Download Feature

Facebook does let you download certain videos directly -- but only under specific conditions. You can download videos you have uploaded yourself, and in some cases, videos that others have posted publicly. This is the simplest and most legitimate way to save a video from the platform.

How to Download Your Own Facebook Videos (Desktop)

1. Log in to Facebook and go to your Profile page.
2. Click on Videos in the left sidebar (or under the "More" dropdown on your profile).
3. Find the video you want to download and click on it to open it.
4. Click the three-dot menu (the "..." icon) in the top-right corner of the video.
5. Select Download Video from the dropdown menu.
6. The video will begin downloading to your default Downloads folder in its original upload quality.

How to Download Your Own Facebook Videos (Mobile App)

1. Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.
2. Tap your profile picture to go to your profile.
3. Scroll down to the Videos section and tap it.
4. Find and tap the video you want to save.
5. Tap the three-dot menu on the video.
6. Select Save Video or Download Video (the exact wording varies by device and app version).
7. On Android, the video downloads directly to your phone's gallery. On iPhone, the video is saved to your camera roll or the Files app.

How to Save Other People's Videos (In-App Only)

For videos posted by other users or pages, Facebook provides a "Save Video" option -- but this does not download the video to your device. Instead, it bookmarks the video within the Facebook app for later viewing.

1. Find the video in your feed or on a page.
2. Click the three-dot menu on the post.
3. Select Save video.
4. To find your saved videos later, go to Menu > Saved on mobile, or click Saved in the left sidebar on desktop.

This saved list requires an internet connection and only works within Facebook. The video is not stored on your device, and if the original poster deletes it, you lose access to it.

Downloading Facebook Live Videos

Facebook updated its Live Video storage policy in February 2025. Live videos are now automatically deleted after 30 days unless the creator saves them. If you recorded a Facebook Live, download it as soon as possible:

1. Go to your Live Video in Creator Studio or on your profile.
2. Click the three-dot menu and select Download Video.
3. Save it to your device before the 30-day window expires.

If someone else went Live and you want to save it, you will need to use one of the third-party methods below.

Method 2: The mbasic Browser Trick (No Software Required)

This method uses Facebook's lightweight mobile site -- originally designed for basic phones -- to access a direct video file link. It works on desktop and mobile browsers without installing any software or visiting any third-party site. You are interacting directly with Facebook's own servers.

Steps for Desktop

1. Find the Facebook video you want to download in your browser.
2. Right-click on the video and select Show video URL (or Copy video URL). If this option does not appear, click the three-dot menu on the post and select Copy link.
3. Paste the URL into your browser's address bar.
4. In the URL, replace www.facebook.com with mbasic.facebook.com and press Enter.
5. The page will load in Facebook's basic mobile layout. You should see the video displayed as a simple playable element.
6. Right-click on the video and select Save video as... to download it to your computer.

Steps for Mobile (Android)

1. Open the Facebook app and find the video you want to download.
2. Tap the three-dot menu on the post and select Copy link.
3. Open your phone's web browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.).
4. Paste the link in the address bar.
5. Change www.facebook.com to mbasic.facebook.com in the URL and tap Go.
6. When the page loads, long-press (tap and hold) on the video.
7. Select Download video or Save video from the menu.

Steps for Mobile (iPhone)

The process on iPhone is similar but requires an extra step because Safari does not always offer a direct download option:

1. Copy the video link from the Facebook app.
2. Open Safari (or Chrome) and paste the link.
3. Change www.facebook.com to mbasic.facebook.com and load the page.
4. Tap the video to start playing it.
5. Tap the share icon or the download icon that appears on the video player.
6. Select Save to Files or Save Video to store it on your device.

Limitations

• The mbasic method typically provides the video in SD quality only (480p or lower). If you need HD or Full HD, use one of the methods below.
• This trick does not work with private videos. The video must be publicly accessible or shared with you.
• Facebook occasionally updates its mbasic site, which can temporarily break this method. If it stops working, try a different browser or switch to an online downloader tool.

Method 3: Online Downloader Tools

Online Facebook video downloaders are web-based services that extract the video file from a Facebook URL. You paste the link, choose a quality, and download the file -- no software installation required. These tools are the most popular way to download Facebook videos because they work on any device with a web browser.

How to Use an Online Downloader (General Steps)

1. Copy the video URL. On desktop, right-click the video and select Copy video URL, or click the three-dot menu on the post and choose Copy link. On mobile, tap the three-dot menu and select Copy link.
2. Go to the downloader website in your browser.
3. Paste the URL into the input field on the page.
4. Click the Download button (or equivalent).
5. Choose your quality -- most tools offer SD (360p-480p) and HD (720p-1080p) options.
6. Save the file to your device. The video is typically saved as an MP4 file.

Popular Online Downloader Tools

Here is a comparison of the most widely used Facebook video downloader websites in 2026:

Tool	URL	Quality Options	Private Video Support	Ads Level	Notable Features
FDown.net	fdown.net	SD, HD	Yes (with workaround)	Low	Clean interface, fast processing
SnapSave	snapsave.app	SD, HD, Full HD, 4K	No	Medium	Highest quality options
FDownloader	fdownloader.net	SD, HD, 1080p	Yes	Medium	Supports Reels and Stories
Toolzu	toolzu.com	SD, HD	No	Low	Simple, minimal UI
GetFVid	getfvid.io	SD, HD, 1080p, 2K, 4K	No	Medium	Wide format selection
Publer	publer.com/tools	SD, HD	No	None	No ads, social media management tool

How to Download Private Facebook Videos with Online Tools

Some online tools like FDown.net support downloading private videos (videos shared only with friends or specific groups). The process is different from public videos:

1. Open the private video on Facebook in your browser.
2. Right-click anywhere on the page and select View Page Source (or press Ctrl+U on Windows / Cmd+Option+U on Mac).
3. Press Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A) to select all the source code, then Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C) to copy it.
4. Go to the downloader's private video page (for example, fdown.net/private-downloader).
5. Paste the entire page source code into the input field.
6. Click Download and choose your quality.

This works because the page source contains the video stream URL that the downloader can extract, even though the video itself is not publicly accessible.

Important Notes About Online Downloaders

• Quality depends on the original upload. If the creator uploaded a 480p video, you cannot download it in 1080p. The tool can only offer what Facebook has available.
• HD vs. SD may require separate streams. For videos at 1080p and above, the video and audio tracks are stored separately on Facebook's servers. Good downloaders automatically merge them into a single MP4 file. If you get a video with no audio, try a different tool.
• Watch out for fake download buttons. Some downloader sites display ads disguised as download buttons. Always look for the actual download link, which usually shows the file size and quality label.
• These tools can stop working temporarily when Facebook changes its video delivery infrastructure. If one tool fails, try another.

Method 4: Mobile Downloader Apps

If you frequently download Facebook videos on your phone, a dedicated downloader app can be more convenient than using a web browser. These apps typically integrate with your phone's share menu, so you can share a video from the Facebook app directly to the downloader.

Top Downloader Apps for Android

Android is more permissive with third-party download apps. Several options are available on the Google Play Store and as direct APK downloads:

App	Source	Quality Options	Key Features
SnapTube	APK download (not on Play Store)	SD, HD, 1080p	Multi-platform support (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok)
FastVid	Google Play Store	SD, HD	Lightweight, fast, designed specifically for Facebook
Video Downloader for Facebook	Google Play Store	SD, HD	Auto-detect videos in Facebook app
AhaSave	Google Play Store / Website	SD, HD	Built-in browser, multi-platform support
Free Download Manager (FDM)	Google Play Store	SD, HD, 1080p	Also handles torrents and large file downloads

How to use a typical Android downloader app:

1. Install the app from the Google Play Store (or download the APK from the developer's website).
2. Open the Facebook app and find the video you want to download.
3. Tap the Share button on the video post.
4. Select the downloader app from the share menu. If it does not appear, select Copy link instead and open the downloader app manually.
5. The app will detect the video and show quality options.
6. Choose your preferred quality and tap Download.
7. The video is saved to your phone's gallery or the app's download folder.

Top Downloader Options for iPhone (iOS)

Apple's App Store has stricter policies about download apps, so options are more limited. However, there are still reliable ways to download Facebook videos on iPhone:

Method	How It Works	Key Notes
Shortcuts app (built-in)	Custom shortcuts can download videos from URLs	Requires importing a shortcut from a trusted source
Documents by Readdle	File manager with built-in browser; navigate to an online downloader	Available on App Store; free
Prenesi	Facebook companion app with download integration	Simple interface, saves directly to Photos
SaveFrom.net via Safari	Use Safari to access an online downloader	No app needed; uses standard web tools

How to download Facebook videos on iPhone using Documents by Readdle:

1. Install Documents by Readdle from the App Store (free).
2. Open the Facebook app and copy the link to the video you want to download.
3. Open Documents by Readdle and tap the browser icon (compass) in the bottom-right corner.
4. Navigate to an online downloader like snapsave.app or fdown.net.
5. Paste the Facebook video link and tap Download.
6. Choose your quality and tap the download link.
7. The video will download to the Documents app. From there, you can move it to your Photos app by tapping the file, selecting Share, and choosing Save Video.

Tips for Mobile Downloading

• Be cautious with apps not on official app stores. APK downloads bypass Google's safety checks. Only download from trusted developer websites.
• Check app permissions. A video downloader should not need access to your contacts, phone calls, or SMS. If it asks for unnecessary permissions, find a different app.
• Clear the app cache regularly to free up storage space, especially if you download many videos.
• Some apps inject ads or watermarks. Read reviews before installing. The apps listed in this guide are ad-supported but do not add watermarks to downloaded videos.

Method 5: yt-dlp (Command-Line Tool for Advanced Users)

yt-dlp is a free, open-source command-line program that can download videos from Facebook and hundreds of other websites. It is the most powerful and flexible option -- supporting all available quality levels, private videos (with authentication), batch downloads, and custom output formats. If you are comfortable using a terminal or command prompt, yt-dlp is the best tool available.

Installing yt-dlp

On Windows:

1. Open a terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell).
2. If you have Python installed, run: pip install yt-dlp
3. Alternatively, download the standalone executable from the yt-dlp releases page and place it in a folder that is in your system PATH.

On Mac:

1. Open Terminal.
2. If you have Homebrew installed, run: brew install yt-dlp
3. Alternatively, use pip: pip install yt-dlp

On Linux:

1. Open a terminal.
2. Run: pip install yt-dlp or use your distribution's package manager (e.g., sudo apt install yt-dlp on Debian/Ubuntu).

Downloading a Public Facebook Video

1. Copy the URL of the Facebook video.
2. Open your terminal.
3. Run the following command:

yt-dlp "https://www.facebook.com/username/videos/1234567890"

By default, yt-dlp downloads the best available quality and saves the file in the current directory.

Listing Available Formats

To see all available quality options before downloading, use the -F flag:

yt-dlp -F "https://www.facebook.com/username/videos/1234567890"

This shows a table of all available formats, including resolution, file size, and codec. You can then choose a specific format by its ID:

yt-dlp -f 18 "https://www.facebook.com/username/videos/1234567890"

Downloading Private Facebook Videos

yt-dlp can download private videos if you provide your Facebook login cookies. This tells Facebook's servers that you are an authenticated user with permission to view the video.

1. Install a browser extension like Get cookies.txt (available for Chrome and Firefox).
2. Log in to Facebook in your browser.
3. Use the extension to export your Facebook cookies to a file called cookies.txt.
4. Run yt-dlp with the cookies file:

yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt "https://www.facebook.com/username/videos/1234567890"

Security warning: Your cookies file contains your Facebook session. Do not share it with anyone. Delete it after you finish downloading.

Useful yt-dlp Options for Facebook

Command Flag	What It Does	Example
-o "%(title)s.%(ext)s"	Set custom output filename	yt-dlp -o "video.%(ext)s" URL
-f best	Download best quality	yt-dlp -f best URL
-F	List all available formats	yt-dlp -F URL
--cookies cookies.txt	Authenticate with cookies	yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt URL
--write-thumbnail	Save the video thumbnail	yt-dlp --write-thumbnail URL
--extract-audio --audio-format mp3	Download audio only as MP3	yt-dlp --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 URL
--embed-subs	Embed subtitles if available	yt-dlp --embed-subs URL
--limit-rate 1M	Limit download speed to 1 MB/s	yt-dlp --limit-rate 1M URL

Troubleshooting yt-dlp

• "Unable to extract video data" error: Update yt-dlp to the latest version by running yt-dlp -U or pip install --upgrade yt-dlp. Facebook frequently changes its video delivery code, and older versions of yt-dlp may not work.
• Getting only SD quality: Some Facebook videos serve different qualities based on cookies and authentication. Try using the --cookies flag even for public videos.
• "Login required" error: The video is private. Use the cookies method described above.
• Nightly builds: If the stable release does not work with Facebook, try the nightly build: yt-dlp --update-to nightly

Understanding Facebook Video Quality and Formats

When you download a Facebook video, the quality you get depends on the original upload and the method you use. Here is what you should know:

Video Quality Tiers on Facebook

Quality Level	Resolution	Typical File Size (per minute)	When to Use
SD (Standard)	360p-480p	5-15 MB	Quick saves, low storage
HD (High Definition)	720p	15-30 MB	General viewing, sharing
Full HD	1080p	30-60 MB	High-quality archiving
2K	1440p	60-120 MB	Professional use
4K (Ultra HD)	2160p	120-250 MB	Maximum quality preservation

File Format Details

Facebook stores and delivers videos in MP4 format with H.264 video encoding. This is the most widely compatible video format -- it plays on virtually every device, media player, and video editor.

For videos at 720p and below, the video and audio are combined in a single file. For videos at 1080p and above, Facebook stores the video track and audio track separately. When you download using a good tool, it automatically merges both tracks into a single MP4 file. If you end up with a video that has no sound, your downloader likely only grabbed the video track -- try a different tool or use yt-dlp, which handles the merge automatically.

Why Downloaded Quality Might Be Lower Than Expected

• Facebook re-encodes all uploads. Even if someone uploads a 4K video, Facebook compresses it during processing. The downloaded version will be Facebook's compressed version, not the original file.
• Quality varies by viewer. Facebook serves different quality levels based on internet speed and device type. The downloader typically gets the highest quality available for that video, but this may still be lower than what you see when streaming on a fast connection.
• Older videos may only be available in SD. Videos uploaded before Facebook supported HD (roughly before 2015) may only exist in 480p or lower.

Legal Considerations: What You Need to Know

Downloading Facebook videos exists in a legal gray area. Here is a straightforward breakdown of the rules and risks:

Facebook's Terms of Service

Facebook's Terms of Service explicitly state that you may not collect or access data from Facebook using automated means without their permission. Using third-party download tools technically violates these terms. However, Facebook's enforcement focuses primarily on large-scale scraping operations rather than individual users saving an occasional video.

Copyright Law

The original creator of a video holds the copyright to that content. Downloading a video you did not create does not give you any rights to it. Specifically:

• Downloading your own videos is always legal. You own the content and can save it however you like.
• Downloading for personal, offline viewing is generally low-risk but technically not authorized by Facebook's terms.
• Downloading and re-uploading someone else's video to another platform (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) without permission is copyright infringement.
• Downloading and using commercially (in ads, products, or services) is copyright infringement unless you have a license from the creator.

Fair Use Defense

Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material for purposes like commentary, criticism, education, news reporting, and parody. To qualify, your use typically needs to be:

1. Transformative -- you add new meaning, context, or commentary rather than just reposting the original.
2. Non-commercial -- you are not profiting from the original creator's work.
3. Limited in scope -- you use only as much as necessary for your purpose.
4. Non-harmful to the market -- your use does not replace or compete with the original.

Fair use is a defense, not a guaranteed right. It is determined on a case-by-case basis, and relying on it without legal advice carries risk.

Best Practices to Stay Safe

1. Always download your own videos first. Use Facebook's built-in download feature whenever possible.
2. Ask for permission. If you want to save or reuse someone else's video, contact the original creator.
3. Do not redistribute. Keep downloaded videos for personal, offline viewing only.
4. Do not monetize. Never use downloaded videos in commercial contexts without a license.
5. Give credit. If you reference or share content with permission, always attribute the original creator.

Troubleshooting Common Download Problems

"This video is not available" or Blank Page

• The video may have been deleted or made private since you copied the link.
• Try refreshing the page and getting a fresh URL.
• If the video is from a private group or restricted audience, you may need to use the private video download method (page source or yt-dlp with cookies).

Download Starts but File Is Corrupted or Zero Bytes

• Your internet connection may have dropped during the download. Try again on a stable connection.
• The downloader tool may have encountered a Facebook rate limit. Wait a few minutes and try again.
• Try a different downloader tool -- some tools handle certain video encodings better than others.

Downloaded Video Has No Sound

• The downloader only grabbed the video stream without the audio. This is common with 1080p and higher quality videos.
• Use yt-dlp with the -f best flag, which automatically merges video and audio.
• Alternatively, try SnapSave or FDownloader, which handle audio merging well.

"Access Denied" or Login Wall on Online Downloader

• The video may be private. Use the page source method or yt-dlp with cookies.
• Facebook may have temporarily blocked the downloader's servers. Try a different tool.
• Clear your browser cookies and cache, then try again.

Download Is Very Slow

• The downloader's servers may be overloaded. Try downloading during off-peak hours or switch to a different tool.
• yt-dlp uses direct connections to Facebook's CDN, which is usually faster than web-based tools.
• Check your internet speed. Facebook video files can be large -- a 10-minute 1080p video can be 300-600 MB.

Repurpose Your Facebook Videos into Short-Form Content

Now that you know how to download Facebook videos, what do you do with them? If you are a content creator, marketer, or business owner, your Facebook videos -- especially long-form content like Lives, interviews, webinars, and product demos -- contain dozens of shareable moments hiding inside them. Manually clipping and editing those moments into short-form content for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels takes hours of tedious scrubbing and editing.

Viral Clips automates the entire process. Upload your downloaded Facebook video, and Viral Clips uses AI to identify the most engaging, high-impact moments -- then exports them as ready-to-post short-form clips with captions, transitions, and optimized aspect ratios.

Why creators use Viral Clips for Facebook video repurposing:

• AI-powered clip detection finds the most compelling moments from your long-form videos so you do not have to scrub through hours of footage manually.
• Handles videos from 5 minutes to 4 hours, covering Facebook Lives, recorded interviews, webinars, tutorials, and more.
• Automatic vertical reframing converts your horizontal Facebook videos into 9:16 format for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.
• Branded captions included -- every clip gets styled subtitles for accessibility and engagement, no extra editing required.
• Multiple clips per video -- get a batch of short-form content from a single long recording, maximizing your content output.

Stop letting your best Facebook content sit in one place. Download your videos, then let Viral Clips turn them into a content engine. Try it at viralclips.video.