How to save a Facebook video or Reel to your iPhone camera roll
Short answer
Copy the video's link in Facebook, paste it into SnapVidBox in Safari and download "MP4 · HD", usually 720p. Safari saves it to Files, iCloud Drive, Downloads; open it, tap Share and choose Save Video. The HD file is H.264, which Photos imports on every iPhone, while the 1080p file uses VP9, which older iPhones may not import.
To save a Facebook video or Reel to your iPhone's camera roll, copy its link in the Facebook app, paste it into SnapVidBox in Safari and download the "MP4 · HD" file. Safari puts it in the Files app, in the Downloads folder. Open it there, tap Share and choose Save Video, and it moves into Photos next to the videos you shot yourself.
Facebook does not make this obvious. Its own Save button only bookmarks the post inside Facebook, so the video still needs the app and a connection to play, and it disappears from your saved list if the owner deletes it. A real copy on the phone has to come from the video file itself, which is what the steps below fetch.
The route through the Files app is the part that catches people out the first time. Safari treats everything it downloads as a file, and files go to Files rather than to Photos. Once you have done it once, the whole thing takes well under a minute, and it only uses apps that come with the iPhone.
What you need
- An iPhone with Safari and the Files app. Both come preinstalled; if you removed Files, it is free in the App Store.
- The Facebook app, or facebook.com open in Safari, to copy the link.
- A video you can see without being friends with the person who posted it: a public post, a Reel, a video from a Page, or a Watch video.
- A few hundred megabytes free for a long video, since the file sits in Files and in Photos for a moment.
Step 1: Copy the link in the Facebook app
Open the video or Reel in the Facebook app. Under a video in the feed, tap Share; on a Reel, the Share arrow is in the column of icons on the right-hand side. A sheet slides up with your contacts and a row of options. Tap Copy link.
Facebook confirms with a small message, and a link such as facebook.com/share/r/… or fb.watch/… is now on the clipboard. Both kinds work: SnapVidBox follows the short link to the post itself, so there is no need to open it first.
If you are watching on facebook.com in Safari, the address in the address bar works too, as long as it is the address of the video and not of the whole news feed.
Step 2: Paste the link into SnapVidBox in Safari
Open Safari and go to the Facebook video downloader. Tap Paste next to the input box, or touch and hold inside the box and choose Paste. The first time a site reads the clipboard, Safari shows a small Paste bubble you need to tap.
Tap the violet Download button. There is no account, no platform to pick and no countdown: the site recognises the Facebook link and reads the list of files Facebook keeps for that video, which takes a few seconds.
Step 3: Download MP4 · HD
A table of files appears below the box, with the video's cover and its title. The row to tap on an iPhone is "MP4 · HD", marked 720P (HD) on most videos, with a green Download now button. It is a single file with the picture and the sound together, encoded in H.264, which every iPhone plays and Photos imports without fuss.
Safari asks whether to download the file and shows its name, taken from the post's title. Tap Download. A small arrow appears in the address bar and fills up as the file arrives; wait for it to finish before you switch apps, especially with a long video.
Rows with a blue Render & download button, such as 1080P (FHD), are made on our server by joining the picture and the sound, which Facebook stores apart at those sizes. Those files use the VP9 format. Recent iPhones play them, but Photos on older models may refuse to import them, so for the camera roll the HD row is the safe pick.
Step 4: Find the video in Files, under Downloads
Open the Files app, tap Browse, then iCloud Drive, then Downloads. That is where Safari saves files unless you have changed it. The video is named after the Facebook post, so it is usually at the top when the folder is sorted by date.
If it is not there, check On My iPhone, Downloads; Safari uses that folder when its download location has been changed in Settings, Safari, Downloads (under Settings, Apps on iOS 18 and later). The quickest way either way is to tap the download arrow in Safari's address bar and then the magnifying glass next to the file.
Step 5: Tap Share, then Save Video
Tap the video in Files to open it, then tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner. In the list of actions, tap Save Video. The video is copied into Photos, where you can trim it, add it to an album, back it up or send it on like any other clip.
If the share sheet shows Save Image instead, you downloaded the cover JPG rather than the video. If there is no Save option at all, see the troubleshooting list further down.
Which file should you pick?
The list changes from video to video, because it shows what Facebook keeps for that post:
- MP4 · HD (720p on most videos): the best complete file, downloads at once, plays everywhere. The right choice for Photos.
- MP4 · Standard (often 360p): a smaller copy for when space or data is tight.
- 1080P (FHD) and higher, Render & download: the sharpest version, made on our server in a few seconds. Best watched in the Files app or a video player app on a recent iPhone.
- M4A and MP3 · Audio only: just the sound. Photos does not hold audio, so these stay in Files; the Facebook to MP3 page lists them first.
- JPG · Cover image: the video's thumbnail, saved with Share, Save Image.
Saving a Facebook Story
Stories have their own link, which ends up at facebook.com/stories/…. Paste it into the Facebook Story downloader instead, and the steps from there are the same as above. A story disappears after 24 hours, so save it while it is still showing. The Facebook Story guide covers the details, including where to find the link.
If Save Video does not appear
The share sheet offers Save Video only for a video file that Photos can import. If it is missing:
- The download has not finished yet. Wait for the arrow in Safari's address bar to complete, then open the file again.
- You saved the 1080p or higher file on an older iPhone. Go back and download "MP4 · HD", which is H.264.
- You saved an audio file or the cover image. Pick one of the MP4 rows instead.
- The iPhone is short of space. Photos needs room for its own copy; free some and try again.
- The file is still in iCloud. A cloud icon next to it in Files means it has not come down to the phone yet; tap it and wait.
If the link does not work
A message instead of a list of files almost always means Facebook does not show the video to someone who is not logged in as you. Videos shared with Friends or Only me, and posts in private groups, cannot be fetched from a link by any tool. Videos that Facebook simply hides behind its login screen, such as posts in public groups, go through the Facebook private video downloader.
If the video is public and it still fails, wait a few seconds and try again, or copy the link once more: a link copied from the address bar of the news feed points at the feed, not at the video.
Tidying up and fair use
Once the video is in Photos, the copy in Files is a duplicate. Delete it from Downloads to get the space back; Photos keeps its own copy. Nothing clears that folder automatically, so it is worth emptying now and then.
A saved copy is for you to watch. Reposting someone else's video, or using it in your own work, needs their permission, and the music in many Reels is licensed separately. The copyright guide explains where personal use ends.
Which file goes into Photos
The same list as above, with the format of each file and what Photos does with it:
| File | Format | Photos on iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 · HD (usually 720p) | H.264 | Imports on every iPhone. The right choice for Photos |
| MP4 · Standard (often 360p) | H.264 | Imports on every iPhone; a smaller file |
| 1080P and higher (Render & download) | VP9 | Recent iPhones; older models may not offer Save Video |
| M4A and MP3 · Audio only | Audio | Stays in Files; Photos holds pictures and video only |
| JPG · Cover image | JPG | Share, Save Image |
In short
Copy the link in Facebook, paste it into SnapVidBox in Safari, download "MP4 · HD", then open it in Files, Downloads and tap Share, Save Video. After the first time it is a routine of a few taps, and the video stays on your iPhone even if the post is taken down.
Frequently asked questions
Can I save a Facebook video straight into Photos?
Not from Safari. Safari puts every download in the Files app, and Share, Save Video is what moves it into Photos. It takes a few seconds once you know where to look.
Why does Facebook's Save button not put the video on my phone?
Facebook's Save only bookmarks the post inside Facebook. The video still streams from Facebook when you play it, and it is gone if the owner deletes the post. A downloaded MP4 is a file that stays on your iPhone.
Which quality should I choose for my camera roll?
"MP4 · HD", usually 720p. It is H.264, which Photos imports on every iPhone. The 1080p and higher files look sharper but use VP9, which older iPhones may not import into Photos.
Does it work with Facebook Reels?
Yes. Copy the Reel's link with the Share arrow on the right-hand side and paste it in the same way. Reels come back with the same list of files as ordinary videos.
Do I need to log in to Facebook or install an app?
No. You only paste the link. There is nothing to sign in to on SnapVidBox, and Safari and Files are all the iPhone needs.
Can I save a video from a private group or a friends-only post?
No. Those are shown only to the people the owner chose, so a link-based tool cannot open them. Ask the person who posted it to send you the video.
Related guides
How to convert a Facebook video to MP3 and keep just the audio
Save the sound of a Facebook video or Reel as an MP3 or the original M4A, on a phone or a computer, with no app. Which bitrate to pick and which posts work.
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How to download a private Facebook video: what can and cannot be saved
Save a Facebook video that asks you to log in, from a public group or behind the login wall, with just its link. What works, what never can, and why.
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How to download a Facebook video on PC or Mac in HD and 1080p
Save a Facebook video or Reel on Windows or macOS from your browser, with no software: HD at once, 1080p made on our server, or just the sound as MP3.
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How to download a Facebook Story video before it disappears
Stories vanish after 24 hours and Facebook has no save button for other people's. How to find a story's link and save the video in up to 1080p, on phone or PC.
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Sources
- Terms of Service — Meta
- Where to find downloads on your iPhone or iPad — Apple
- Files basics — Apple
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