How to Download Your Own Facebook Video

Ever posted a fantastic video on Facebook, only to have your phone die, a hard drive fail, or simply forget where you saved the original file? Suddenly, that great piece of content is trapped on Facebook. This guide will walk you through several easy and effective methods for downloading your own videos right from the platform, so you can archive, edit, or repurpose them for other channels.

Why Should You Download Your Facebook Videos?

You might be wondering why you'd need a local copy of something that's already live online. For content creators, social media marketers, and small business owners, having access to your original video files is a huge advantage. It unlocks a whole world of content potential that goes far beyond a single Facebook post.

Here are just a few reasons why saving your video files is a smart move:

• Content Repurposing: This is the big one. What performed well as a standard video on Facebook could be a powerhouse vertical video on Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. By downloading the original, you can re-edit it to fit different platform specifications, add new music, update captions, or crop it to a 9:16 aspect ratio without losing quality. A single great video can become a month's worth of content if you're strategic.
• Creating a Master Media Library: Think of it as building your own personal stock footage library. Over time, you'll accumulate dozens or even hundreds of videos. Having them downloaded and organized lets you easily pull clips for compilations, highlight reels, year-in-review videos, or tutorials. It turns your past work into a valuable, reusable asset.
• Archiving and Backups: Social media platforms are not forever, and accounts can get locked or deleted without warning. Relying on Facebook to be your sole video archive is risky. Downloading your best-performing content creates a permanent backup, protecting your hard work from technical glitches or platform changes.
• Offline Viewing and Presentations: Need to show a video during a presentation, workshop, or meeting where the Wi-Fi might be unreliable? Having a local file saved on your laptop means your presentation will go smoothly without depending on a finicky internet connection.

Essentially, downloading your videos gives you back control. It transforms your content from a single, platform-specific post into a flexible asset you can use anywhere, anytime. Learning how to create a content calendar for Instagram, for example, becomes much easier when you have a library of versatile video assets at your disposal.

Method 1: The Quick Browser URL Trick

If you're on a desktop or laptop and need to grab a single video quickly without any extra software, this method is for you. It involves a simple tweak to the video's URL to access a basic mobile version of Facebook, which then allows for a direct download. It might seem a little technical at first, but once you do it once, you'll see how simple it really is.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Find Your Video on Facebook: Navigate to the video you want to download on your Facebook page or profile.
2. Get the Video's Unique URL: Click on the video to open it in a larger view. Or, click on the three dots (...) icon on the post and select "Copy link." Another simple way is to click on the date/timestamp of the post. This will load the video on its own dedicated page.
3. Edit the URL: Look at the URL in your browser's address bar. It will look something like this:
   https://www.facebook.com/yourusername/videos/1234567890
   You need to replace the "www" with "mbasic". So, the URL becomes:
   https://mbasic.facebook.com/yourusername/videos/1234567890
4. Open the Basic Mobile Version: Press Enter. Your browser will load a very simple, old-school mobile version of the Facebook page. It might look strange, but this is exactly what you want.
5. Play the Video: Click the play button on the video thumbnail. This will typically open the video in a new browser tab with a plain black background and nothing else on the page.
6. Save the Video File: Now, simply right-click anywhere on the playing video. In the context menu, you should see an option like "Save video as..." Select it, choose where you want to save the file on your computer, give it a name, and hit Save.

That's it! You've successfully downloaded your video. This method is incredibly fast for one-off downloads, but keep in mind that the video quality might not be the absolute highest possible resolution. For that, the official method below is often better.

Method 2: Use Facebook's "Download Your Information" Feature

For the highest quality download or if you need to download multiple videos at once, using Facebook's built-in tool is your best bet. This feature is designed to let you download a complete archive of your data, but you can customize it to only download your videos. It's the official, safest, and most reliable way to get your content.

This process takes a little more time, as Facebook has to prepare the file for you, but it's worth it for bulk or high-resolution needs.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Go to Your Settings: Click on your profile picture icon in the top-right corner of Facebook and select "Settings &, Privacy," then click "Settings."
2. Access the Download Tool: On the left-hand menu, find and click on "Your Facebook Information." From there, select "Download Your Information."
3. Request a New File: This will take you to a page where you can request a download of your data. You may see previous download requests here if you've used this tool before.
4. Select Your Content: Facebook defaults to selecting all of your data. You don't want that. First, click "Deselect All." Then, scroll down the list and check the box only for "Posts." Your videos are typically included within your posts. Selecting just this category makes the download much smaller and faster to prepare.
5. Customize the Download Settings: At the top of the download request page, you'll see a section called "Format and other options." You can customize it here:
   • Date Range: If you're looking for a specific video, you can select a narrow date range to speed up the process. If you want everything, you can leave it as "All time."
   • Format: HTML is typically easier for navigating the file structure once downloaded. JSON is better if you're a developer planning to import the data into another program. For most users, HTML is the right choice.
   • Media Quality: This is the most important setting. Change it from the default "Medium" to "High." This ensures you get the best possible resolution for your videos.
6. Start Your Download: Once you've customized your settings, scroll to the bottom and click the "Request a download" button. Facebook will start preparing your files. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how much data you requested. You'll receive a Facebook notification when it's ready.
7. Download and Unzip the File: Once you get the notification, return to the "Download Your Information" page. Your file will be listed under "Available files." Click "Download" and enter your password to confirm. Your data will be downloaded as a .ZIP file. Unzip it, and you'll find a folder structure containing all the data you requested, including your videos in the "Posts" folder. This is also a good way to gather data for managing Facebook ads more effectively.

A Word of Caution on Third-Party Downloader Websites

A quick online search will reveal dozens of websites and apps that promise to download any Facebook video for you. While some of these tools work, it's wise to proceed with caution. Many of these free online services are supported by aggressive advertising, which can range from annoying pop-ups to potentially malicious links.

The general process is simple: you copy the video's URL, paste it into a field on the website, and it generates a download link for you. This can be quick and painless.

However, be aware of a few things:

• Privacy: You're giving a link to your content to an unknown third party. For sensitive or private videos, this might not be the best idea.
• Security: Be wary of sites that ask you to download software, install browser extensions, or provide your login details. Never give your Facebook password to a third-party site. The methods above (URL trick and official export) are much safer.
• Ads and Redirects: These sites are often littered with ads and confusing "Download" buttons. Clicking the wrong one could lead you to spammy or harmful websites. Stick to the methods provided by Facebook itself when you can. For instance, if you're looking to repurpose YouTube videos for TikTok, it's always best to download them directly from YouTube or use trusted tools rather than third-party sites.

Finally, once you've secured your videos, consider refining them. Learning how to edit videos for social media can help you maximize their impact across different platforms.

Final Thoughts

Saving a local copy of your Facebook videos is a crucial step in taking full control of your content. Whether you use the simple 'mbasic' URL trick for a quick download, or Facebook’s official archive tool for high-quality files, you now have the power to create backups and repurpose your best work for other platforms. This turns your videos from one-time posts into versatile building blocks for your broader content strategy.

After downloading your videos to share them on channels like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts, you may encounter the next challenge: managing and scheduling all this content effectively. We’ve struggled with clunky, frustrating social media tools for years, which is the whole reason we built Postbase. It's a clean, modern platform designed for today's video-first marketing, allowing you to easily plan a visual calendar and schedule content across all your accounts without the headaches.