How to download Facebook videos to Mac

Sometimes, you come across a Facebook video that stays with you. It could be a heartwarming clip from a friend's wedding, a tutorial you want to revisit, or something funny that makes you feel good. However, Facebook isn't always accessible – maybe you're traveling somewhere without reliable internet, or you want to save that video in a personal collection on your computer. That's where downloading the video to your Mac comes in. It's about keeping those moments close, even when you're offline.

Since Facebook eliminated easy ways to download videos, saving them for offline viewing on your Mac has become a puzzle. But don't get upset. In this guide, you will learn how to download Facebook videos with ease. 

How to download video from Facebook

If the video is yours, Facebook makes it easy to download it directly:

1. Log in to your Facebook account. Go to your profile page.
2. Click on Video in the Facebook navigation bar just below your name and profile picture. On the next screen, you'll see all of the video content that you've ever uploaded to the platform – find the video that you want to download and click on it. 
3. In the top right corner of your screen, open the three-dot menu.
4. Click Download Video. A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to rename the video and save it anywhere on your computer's hard drive.

   

Why can't I download Facebook videos?

If someone posts a video to a group or someone else's channel and marks it as private, you won't be able to download it. However, Facebook allows you to save the video for later viewing on the platform itself. This is an easy way to keep track of videos you find interesting. I will cover this option later in this guide. So keep reading. 

How to download someone's videos from Facebook

As I mentioned earlier, Facebook allows you to download your own videos easily. Now, if you want to download someone else's public video, there is a workaround you can use. For starters, you need to download the app. If you want to try different options, then even two – Pulltube and Downie. But don't worry, it won't take long.

You can look for apps on the App Store, but I know a better place. Have you ever heard of Setapp?

Setapp is a subscription service that offers more than 240 Mac, iOS, and web apps for $9.99/month. It has its own App Store-like app that lets you download and use any of the apps in the catalog whenever you want. 

Note that Setapp offers a free seven-day trial. If you are interested in even a few of the included apps, it may be worth the download and trial.

Now, let's get to work.

There are quite a few options for downloading videos from the web, but our favorite is Pulltube. It's native to the Mac and really simple to use for everyone.

Here's how to download Facebook video to a computer with Pulltube:

1. Find the video you want to download on Facebook and copy the link.
2. Open Pulltube and paste the link.
3. Customize the quality and/or trim the video before downloading.
4. Click Download video. 

   

   ✕ Remove app banner

That's literally all you need to do! The video file will be saved to your computer, and you can watch it whenever you want. For a Facebook video downloader, Pulltube is as good as it gets. Simple, effective, and reliable. The best part? The app includes support for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, and many other popular services.

Another tool you can try to save video from Facebook is called Downie. 

The app provides an incredibly smooth workflow for downloading videos. It allows you to directly search for videos using keywords in its integrated browser. After finding what you're looking for, you can easily save the video to your Mac in your chosen quality and format. If you want to copy and paste the link to download Facebook video, you can do that too.

Here is how to download videos from Facebook with Downie:

1. Drag and drop a link from Facebook into the app window. or Copy the Facebook video link > Click the + button in the lower-left corner of the app window. or Copy the link to the Facebook video > Press Command + V.
2. The download will start automatically. Depending on the size of the file, it may take a few seconds to several minutes.

   

You can choose to download separate parts of the video, such as the audio track or the thumbnail image. Here is how:

1. Add a video to download as I described above.
2. Click the three dots in the lower-right corner of the video preview window.
3. Choose the desired action.

   

   ✕ Remove app banner

Note that it's possible to convert your downloads to any format with the app called Permute. If you install Downie via Setapp, you get access to both apps right away.

Save video to watch it later

Remember when I told you there's a method to save Facebook videos to watch later? I'll show you how to do that, too:

1. In the corner of the post, you'll see an ellipses menu (…). Click it.
2. Then, choose Save Post, Save Event, Save Link, or Save Video.

This is all you need to do, but keep in mind this does not download Facebook video to your computer, smartphone, or tablet. It simply saves it as a bookmark within your Facebook account so you can watch it later. The idea is to bring you back to Facebook to watch the video with the hope you'll get snared in the social media trap and spend more time on Facebook. 

Tip: Downloading videos can significantly eat your Mac's disk space, especially if you're working with a 128GB or 256GB model – it fills up fast. To avoid the situation when you're running out of space, it's smart to clear out unnecessary files beforehand. CleanMyMac X is great for this, featuring tools like Space Lens to pinpoint what's using up space and Large & Old Files to find and delete the biggest unused files. Give it a try and free up valuable space on your Mac in minutes!

Now you know how to save Facebook videos to your Mac. However, let's summarize the main ways to do it:

• You can download your own videos by clicking on Video in the Facebook navigation bar just below your name and profile picture and then choosing;
• You can use dedicated apps such as Pulltube or Downie to save files for full use and editing;
• You can save (bookmark) Facebook videos to view them later on Facebook.

If you run out of space, make sure your Mac is clutter-free with CleanMyMac X.

The best part? All of the above Mac apps (Pulltube, Downie, CleanMyMac X) and 240+ more are available on Setapp, all included in a subscription. Try all Setapp apps at no cost for seven days now!