How to Download Video from Social Media (4 Useful Ways)
By Iris Holmes
Updated on Mar 19, 2025
23.2K views
5-min read
When scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, you suddenly come across a video you have to save. Maybe it’s a recipe you want to try later, a workout routine you’re eager to follow, or just a funny clip you can’t stop watching. But when you try to download it, you hit a roadblock. No download option, watermarks are everywhere, or the video just won’t save properly. Sound familiar?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Downloading videos from social media can be a headache, but it doesn’t have to be. In this guide, we’ll show you 4 easy and effective ways to download videos from social media, whether it’s a TikTok, Instagram story, or Facebook post. Just simple, step-by-step solutions to help you save your favorite videos hassle-free. Let’s get started!
1. Directly Download Video on Social Media Platform
Did you know that some social media platforms actually let you download videos directly? That’s right—apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook Lite, Pinterest, and Vimeo often have a built-in download option, as long as the creator has enabled it. This is one of the easiest ways to download videos from social media on an iPhone or Android without needing any third-party tools.
Here’s how it works on TikTok, for example:
Step 1: Launch the TikTok app and navigate to the video you’d like to save.
Step 2: Tap the “Share” button (it’s usually on the right side of the screen). This will open a menu with various options at the bottom.
Step 3: Look for the “Save Video” icon (it’s typically represented by a downward arrow or a download symbol). Once you tap it, the video will automatically be saved to your phone’s camera roll.
Note: If the “Save Video” option isn’t available, it means the creator has restricted downloads for that video. But no worries—we’ve got more tricks up our sleeve to help you out!
Some social media platforms, like YouTube, Twitter, and Bilibili, allow you to download videos directly through their official apps for offline viewing. However, there’s a catch—downloaded videos are often restricted to the app itself and can’t be saved to your device’s gallery. Additionally, platforms like YouTube and Twitter require a Premium subscription to access this feature.
For example, if you’re using YouTube Music (which comes with a YouTube Premium subscription), you can download audio from videos for offline listening. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Open the YouTube Music app on your phone or tablet.
Step 2: Search for the song or video you want to download. Once you’ve found it, tap the three-dot menu next to the track.
Step 3: From the menu that appears, select “Download.” The audio or video will then be saved for offline access within the app.
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How to Download TikTok Videos Without Watermark [4 Easy Ways]
2. Download Social Media Videos with Professional Video Downloader
While downloading videos directly from social media platforms is convenient, it comes with limitations. Some platforms restrict downloads to in-app viewing, require a premium subscription, or do not offer a built-in download option at all. To overcome these restrictions, a professional video downloader like TuneFab VideOne Downloader is a more flexible and powerful solution.
TuneFab, a one-stop downloading tool, allows you to download embedded videos from over 1,000 websites, including major social media platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. Unlike the built-in download options on social media apps, which often limit video access to the platform itself, professional downloaders save videos as permanent MP4, MKV, or MOV files for offline use anytime, anywhere.
More Impressive Features of TuneFab VideOne Downloader
- Comprehensive Platform Support – Supports downloading from over 1,000 social media and streaming platforms, including Pornhub, OnlyFans, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, as well as OTT services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, Hulu, and HBO Max.
- User-Friendly Operation – Access all platforms within a single application, watch videos through the built-in browser, or search directly using keywords or URLs for quick and easy downloading.
- Multiple Download Formats – Save videos in MP4, MKV, or MOV formats and extract audio in MP3, M4A, WAV, or FLAC formats for flexible media playback.
- High-Speed and Batch Downloading – Download multiple videos simultaneously with up to 3X faster speeds, ensuring efficiency and convenience.
- Lossless Video Quality – Preserve original video quality, supporting resolutions up to 4K, depending on the platform source.
Now, let’s see how to download videos from YouTube via TuneFab VideOne Downloader.
Step 1. Download and launch TuneFab on your computer. Then, go to YouTube and find the videos that you want to download.
Step 2. Copy the URL of the video and paste it into the search bar of TuneFab.
Step 3. Choose the desired video format (MP4/MKV/MOV) and quality (up to 4K resolution).
Step 4. Click the download button and let the software handle the rest. Once completed, the video will be saved permanently on your device.
3. Download Video from Social Media with Dedicated Online Tools
If you prefer not to use software, online tools provide an alternative solution. Some are dedicated to downloading from specific platforms, while others support multiple platforms in one service. For example, Media Mister’s Social Media Video Downloader is a free, browser-based tool that simplifies the process, allowing users to effortlessly download videos from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube without installation or account creation.
If you want to download videos from some less common platforms like Dailymotion or Vimeo, specialized online tools are needed, or you can opt for TuneFab VideOne for broader compatibility. Without further ado, let’s download social media videos now by using Social Media Video Downloader.
Step 1. Choose the platform (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube) from which you want to download a video.
Step 2. Copy and paste the exact video URL into the designated box on the screen. After the video is found and processed, a “Download Video” button will appear. Click on it to begin downloading.
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How to Download Vimeo Video in High Quality (Ultimate Guide)
4. Download Video from Social Media with Dedicated Browser Extension
Video DownloadHelper is a versatile browser extension that allows you to download videos from Twitter, Dailymotion, Pinterest, Niconico, and over 1000 other websites. Compatible with browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, this extension offers a seamless experience for downloading high-quality videos and converting them to your preferred formats, such as MP4, MKV, and WebM.
However, it’s important to note that Video DownloadHelper does not support platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram directly through its standard functionality.
Step 1. After installing the extension on your web browser, go to the social media platform where the video you want to download is hosted. Locate the video and play it to ensure it’s the correct one.
- Video DownloaderHelper for Chrome
- Video DownloaderHelper for Firefox
- Video DownloaderHelper for Edge
Step 2. While the video is playing, the Video DownloadHelper extension automatically detects it and displays a download option. Click on the download button, choose your preferred format and quality, and the video will start downloading to your device.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, there are 4 doable ways for you to download videos from social media such as Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, allowing you to enjoy watching those hilarious TikToks on the subway or catching up on Instagram Reels during a flight.
If you’re looking for a more versatile and high-quality solution, we highly recommend using TuneFab VideOne Downloader. This powerful tool lets you download streaming videos from platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube, saving them as lossless MP4, MKV, or MOV files. So, why wait? Start downloading your favorite videos today!