# How to download Facebook videos (your own, and saving others' to watch later)

> What Facebook lets you do with a video: save it to watch later, download your own reels and videos, export everything you've posted, and keep a Page's videos with their numbers for research.

By Matt, Parsly · Updated 2026-10-22 · https://parsly.to/guides/how-to-download-facebook-videos/

## The short answer

Facebook only lets you download videos you posted yourself: open your profile's Reels, open the video, tap Options and choose Download reel. Other people's videos and reels can't be downloaded with Facebook's tools; you can only Save them to watch later in Facebook. To get everything you've posted at once, use Export your information.

Facebook is stricter than TikTok or Instagram: you can download your own videos, but not anyone else's. This guide is for anyone who wants to keep a Facebook video, whether it's one of their own, one to watch later, or a Page's videos to study what works for it. It covers what Facebook itself offers first, then the other ways and what each one costs you.

Only download what you have the right to. The person who posted a video owns it, and [Meta's terms](https://www.facebook.com/terms) limit what you can do with other people's content.

## Can you download videos from Facebook?

Only your own. Facebook's help centre says you can download reels you shared, and that you can't download reels or older videos created by others (checked October 2026).

Since September 2025, new videos you upload to Facebook post as reels, so the reel steps below cover any video you've posted since then. Older ones are "legacy videos" and keep their old rules: if you couldn't download one before, you can't now.

## How do I download my own Facebook video?

Open it from your profile's Reels and choose **Download reel** from its options.

1. Go to your profile and open **Reels**.
2. Tap the reel or video you want.
3. Tap **Options** (the three dots), then **Download reel**.
4. It saves to your phone's gallery, or your downloads folder on a computer.

The sound may not all come with it. If your reel uses someone else's original audio, the download is muted, and licensed music may be muted or only partly included, depending on the clip's length and the music rights in your country.

Facebook's help page: [Download a reel that you shared on Facebook to your device](https://www.facebook.com/help/1005944300373812). Menu names vary between the app and the website, so the option may read slightly differently for you.

## How do I save a Facebook video to watch later?

Use **Save**. It keeps the video in a private list inside Facebook; it doesn't download a file.

1. On the video or reel, open its menu (the three dots, or **Options**).
2. Choose **Save**.
3. To find it later, open **Saved** from Facebook's menu, or go to [facebook.com/saved](https://www.facebook.com/saved) on a computer.

Facebook has removed its old Watchlist; videos you saved or marked Watch Later are all in Saved now. Help pages: [Save reels and videos to view later](https://www.facebook.com/help/283351151337206) and [view the things you've saved](https://www.facebook.com/help/220284408163249).

## How do I download all my Facebook videos at once?

Export a copy of your Facebook information. It includes what you've posted, and you choose the media quality.

1. Open **Settings & privacy**, then **Settings**, then **Accounts Centre** (some people see **Meta Account settings** instead).
2. Open **Your information and permissions**, then **Export your information**.
3. Choose your Facebook profile and **Export to device**.
4. Pick the information, the date range, the format and the media quality, then start the export.

Higher media quality makes a bigger file. Facebook's help pages name these menus slightly differently from one version to the next, so follow the closest match ([Export a copy of your Facebook information](https://www.facebook.com/help/212802592074644)).

## What about Facebook video downloader websites?

They're the sites that rank for "Facebook video downloader": paste a video's link, get a file. Facebook's own tools don't do this for other people's videos, which is why these sites exist.

- **Ads and worse.** Many are covered in pop-ups and redirects, and some push fake download buttons, unwanted extensions or malware. Never install anything a downloader site asks for, and never give one your Facebook password.
- **Terms.** Using them may break Meta's terms, and the person who posted the video still owns it.
- **One at a time.** You paste each link by hand, and private videos or ones in closed groups usually won't work.

## Which way should I use?

| Way | Free | Others' videos | Many at once | Watermark | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Save | Yes | Yes | No, one at a time | No file | None; a link, not a file |
| Download reel (your own) | Yes | No | No, one at a time | None | None; some audio muted |
| Export your information | Yes | No, your own only | Yes, everything you posted | None | None |
| Downloader sites | Usually, with ads | Public videos | Mostly one at a time | Varies | Ads, malware, breaking Meta's terms |
| Parsly | Yes | Public videos you can watch | Yes, a whole Page | Parsly adds none | Keep only what you have the right to |

## What can't you do?

- **Download others' videos with Facebook's tools.** Only the person who posted a video can download it.
- **Get videos from private profiles or closed groups** you can't see yourself. No honest tool can, Parsly included.
- **Download older videos you couldn't download before** September 2025, except through Export your information.

## How do I keep a Page's videos for research with Parsly?

[Parsly](https://parsly.to/) is a free Chrome extension for studying what works for a creator or brand. It keeps each video together with its numbers, so you know which ones are worth a closer look.

1. Open the Page or profile's videos or reels on facebook.com, and open Parsly from Chrome's toolbar. The first time, allow it on Facebook; it asks once per site.
2. Click **Collect**. Parsly scrolls the page like you would and reads each video's views, reactions, comments and date.
3. Parsly marks the breakouts: videos that beat that Page's usual views, such as "8x their usual views".
4. Save the videos you want to keep, and download the list as a spreadsheet (CSV) with each one's numbers.

It reads only public pages you can see yourself. Use what you save to learn from; ask the owner before using it anywhere else. To see a brand's ads rather than its posts, see [how to see a competitor's Facebook ads](https://parsly.to/guides/how-to-see-competitors-facebook-ads/).

## Questions people also ask

### Can I download someone else's Facebook video?

Not with Facebook's own tools. Its help centre says you can't download reels or older videos created by others. You can save them to watch later inside Facebook, or ask the person for the file.

### Why is my downloaded Facebook reel silent?

Facebook mutes the download if your reel uses someone else's original audio, and licensed music may be muted or only partly included, depending on its length and the music rights where you live.

### Where are saved Facebook videos?

In Saved, a private section only you can see: facebook.com/saved on a computer, or Saved in the app's menu. Facebook has removed its old Watchlist, so videos you once marked Watch Later are in Saved too.

### Can I download a Facebook video I was tagged in?

Only the person who posted it can download it. You can save it, or ask them for a copy.

### Why can't I download an older video I posted?

Facebook treats videos posted before September 2025 as legacy videos with their old rules: if you couldn't download one before, you can't now. Export your information is the way to get a copy of your own uploads.

## Sources

- [Facebook Help: Download a reel that you shared on Facebook to your device](https://www.facebook.com/help/1005944300373812)
- [Facebook Help: Save reels and videos on Facebook to view later](https://www.facebook.com/help/283351151337206)
- [Facebook Help: How do I view the things I've saved on Facebook?](https://www.facebook.com/help/220284408163249)
- [Facebook Help: Export a copy of your Facebook information](https://www.facebook.com/help/212802592074644)
- [Meta Terms of Service](https://www.facebook.com/terms)