Tip of the Week: How to Download Videos from Social Media

Social media has taken the world by storm, in no small part because of the videos that people share. We’ve all seen a shared video that we’ve wanted to keep. That’s why this blog will take you through the process of downloading videos from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

However, there are a few things you should be aware of before we get down to brass tacks. First, as these websites don’t feature a download button, you are going to need to leverage some third-party software or web-based tools.

The other thing you need to be aware of is very important:

You need to know your country’s copyright laws before you start to download any videos from social media. It’s like jaywalking - just because you might be able to do it, doesn’t mean you should (or that it’s a smart thing to do in the first place). Just because you “can” download a video from the Internet, doesn’t mean you should.

Now that we’ve gotten the legal disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to it.

Twitter

When you see a video on Twitter that you want to download, you’ll need to click on the arrow, found in left-hand corner of the video. Select Copy link to Tweet, and go to the SaveTweetVid website. Once you enter the URL, your download should start automatically.

If you’re working with a mobile device, there are applications that serve a similar purpose, like Video Downloader for Twitter.

Facebook

While Facebook does allow you to save videos, it is only to your Facebook profile - the file isn’t actually downloaded to your device. If you want to do that, you’ll need to select Copy link from the three-dot menu at the top-right of the video you want. Access Getfvid and paste in the link.

If you need an app, try Video Downloader for Facebook.

Instagram

As a Facebook property, downloading video content requires a very similar process. Access the three-dot menu, select Copy link, and enter it into DownloadGram.

The Google Play Store also offers an Android app to accomplish this: InstaSave.

What other kinds of tips would you like to learn? Leave some suggestions in the comments!