How to download Facebook videos to Mac: Big update

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 a video from Facebook (if it’s your own video)

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

1. Log in to Facebook and go to your profile.

2. In the navigation bar under your cover photo, choose Videos or Reels. (It sits next to Posts, About, and Photos. If you don’t see it, click More and choose Videos.)

3. Scroll through your uploaded videos, then click the video you want to download.

4. In the top-right corner of the video page, click the three-dot menu (⋯).

5. Choose Download video. Facebook will save the file to your device in MP4 format.

Note that for videos posted by others, Facebook does not offer a direct download option.

If you want to find other ways to download videos from TikTok or YouTube, and more, try this GPT assistant that will let you download content from over 1,000 sites.

Downloading Facebook Live videos

Facebook Live Videos are available for only 30 days after broadcast. So, if you don’t save them within that window, they’re removed permanently.

Here’s how to download your Facebook Live videos:

1. Go to your Facebook Profile or Page.

2. Click the Videos tab, or click More in the Live tab to reveal it.

3. Find the live video you want to save and open it in full-screen mode.

4. In the top-right corner of the video, click the three-dot menu (⋯).

5. Select Download SD or Download HD.

That’s it! Facebook will save the MP4 file to your Downloads folder.

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 260 Mac, iOS, and web apps for $9.99 + tax per month. It 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.

Pulltube: You can download and trim videos

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

Here's how to download a 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 download of video, 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.

Downie: Download videos with a simple drag-n-drop

Another tool you can try to save videos 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 the 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.

Also, here's a guide on downloading X (Twitter) videos on your Mac.

Using Online Tools to Download Public Facebook Videos

Public Facebook videos are videos posted with a visibility setting allowing anyone to see them, with or without logging into Facebook. These videos aren’t bound by privacy settings such as “Friends” or “Only me,” which is why tools to download them online can and do exist.

• FDOWN.net: It works directly from your browser. Simply, open FDOWN.net, paste the video URL, choose the format, and start downloading.

• Getfvid: It’s another feature-rich browser-based Facebook video downloader that lets you download public Facebook videos in a variety of formats.

• SnapSave: It’s a reliable choice for HD downloads, and may even support full HD and 4K downloads when available. Again, simply paste the video URL, select the quality, and voila!

• Toolzu:  Loved for its super-simple user interface, Toolzu is ideal for downloading public Facebook videos from pages, groups, and profiles.

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.

The best part? All of the above Mac apps (Pulltube, Downie, CleanMyMac) and 250+ more are available on Setapp, all included in a subscription. Try all Setapp apps at no cost for seven days now!