Facebook Video Downloader
To download a Facebook video, open the video, copy its URL from the address bar or the Share menu, then paste it into the box on this page and press Download. Public videos save as MP4. Videos limited to friends or private groups cannot be fetched.
Only download content you own or have the right to save. Respect each platform's terms — this tool is for personal use, not redistribution.
On iPhone? Arca saves links like this straight into an encrypted vault — never into a shared Downloads folder.
Get Arca freeHow to download
- 1
Copy the video link
Use Share then Copy link, or take the URL from the address bar while the video is open. Short fb.watch links work as well as full ones.
- 2
Paste it above
Drop the link into the box on this page and press Download. Nothing is saved to an account — there isn't one.
- 3
The MP4 downloads
Files are named from the numeric video ID, for example facebook_10153231379946729.mp4.
Link formats that work
-
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=VIDEO_ID -
https://www.facebook.com/USERNAME/videos/VIDEO_ID/ -
https://fb.watch/SHORTCODE/
Quality you can expect
Public videos download at the resolution Facebook serves to logged-out visitors, commonly 720p. Facebook stores several renditions and does not always expose the highest one without a session, so the file can be a step below what you see while logged in.
What doesn't work
Stated plainly, because finding out after three failed attempts is worse.
- Videos visible only to friends, or posted in private and closed groups, cannot be fetched.
- Personal profile videos with restricted audiences fail even when you can see them while logged in.
- Live broadcasts still running are not supported; wait until the replay is published.
- Some Reels on Facebook behave inconsistently as Facebook changes what it serves anonymously.
The logged-out test
Facebook's privacy model is finer-grained than most platforms', and audience settings are invisible from the outside. The quickest way to know whether a video can be downloaded is to open its link in a private browsing window. If it plays without a login prompt, it will fetch. If Facebook asks you to log in, the video is restricted to an audience this tool is not part of.
This catches the common surprise where a video plays perfectly for you because you are a friend of the poster, and fails here for exactly that reason.
Numeric filenames
Facebook videos are identified by a long numeric ID rather than a title, and that ID becomes the filename. It is stable — pasting it back into a facebook.com/watch/?v= URL returns to the original post — but it tells you nothing about the content.
If you are archiving more than a couple of videos, rename them as they arrive.
On iPhone
The same thing, into an encrypted vault
A browser download lands in a shared Downloads folder that other apps, backup services, and anyone holding your phone can read. Arca does this same paste-a-link step on iPhone, except the video is encrypted the moment it arrives and never passes through your Camera Roll.
Questions
Can I download private Facebook videos? +
No. If a video is limited to friends, a private group, or a custom audience, it is not visible to a logged-out visitor and cannot be fetched. There is no legitimate way around this.
Do fb.watch short links work? +
Yes. Short links resolve to the underlying video before the download is attempted, so you can paste whichever form the Share menu gave you.
What quality do Facebook downloads come in? +
Usually 720p — the rendition Facebook serves anonymously. Higher renditions often exist but are not exposed without a logged-in session.
Can I download Facebook Stories? +
No. Like Instagram Stories, they are served only to authenticated sessions and are out of reach for a tool that holds no accounts.
Other platforms
All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Arca is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by any platform named on this page. Only download content you own or have the right to save.