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April 10, 2024
6 min read
SSDown Team

The Ultimate Guide to Downloading Facebook Videos: From Reels to Lives

#facebook#video#downloader#guide#tutorial

Facebook: The Sleeping Giant of Video

While everyone talks about TikTok and YouTube, Facebook remains the world's largest social media platform with over 3 billion monthly active users. It has quietly evolved into a massive video powerhouse with Facebook Watch. From viral "5-Minute Crafts" style videos and gaming livestreams to heartwarming family memories and breaking news clips, Facebook hosts content you cannot find anywhere else.

However, Facebook's built-in "Save Video" feature only bookmarks the post within your account. It doesn't actually save the file to your phone or computer.

  • What if the uploader deletes the video?
  • What if your account gets restricted?
  • What if you want to share the video on WhatsApp or edit it into a compilation?

That's where SSDown comes in. We give you the freedom to take the video out of the "walled garden" of Facebook and keep it safe on your local storage.

What Kind of Videos Can You Download?

Facebook has many video formats, and SSDown supports almost all of them:

  1. Feed Videos: The standard videos you see scrolling through your News Feed.
  2. Facebook Reels: Vertical short-form videos similar to TikTok (increasingly popular).
  3. Facebook Watch: The dedicated video tab for original shows and long-form content.
  4. Live Stream Replays: Once a live broadcast ends and is posted as a video, you can download it. (Note: You cannot download a stream while it is live).

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Download

Using SSDown is safe, fast, and requires no login.

Method 1: On Mobile (Android & iOS)

  1. Find the Video: Open the Facebook app and navigate to the video.
  2. Copy Link:
    • Tap the "Share" button (arrow icon) below the video.
    • Scroll through the options and tap "Copy Link".
    • Tip: If you don't see "Copy Link" immediately, tap "More Options" (...) first.
  3. Go to SSDown: Open Chrome (Android) or Safari (iOS) and visit SSDown.app.
  4. Paste & Download:
    • Paste the link into the box.
    • Tap "Download".
    • Choose "HD Quality" (High Definition) for the best experience or "SD Quality" (Standard Definition) to save data.

Method 2: On Desktop (Windows & Mac)

  1. Get the URL:
    • Right-click on the video itself and select "Show video URL", then copy the small box that pops up.
    • OR: Click on the timestamp (e.g., "2 hrs ago") to open the video in its own page, then copy the URL from the browser's address bar.
  2. Process: Go to SSDown.app, paste the URL, and convert it.
  3. Save: Right-click the download button and choose "Save Link As..." to store it in your desired folder.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Download This?

1. The "Private Video" Problem

This is the most common issue. SSDown respects user privacy.

  • Public Videos: Videos shared with "Public" (Globe icon) privacy settings can be downloaded by anyone.
  • Private/Friends-Only Videos: Videos posted in closed groups, secret groups, or on personal profiles set to "Friends Only" cannot be accessed by our servers because we imply do not have permission to view them.
  • Solution: There is no ethical solution to download private videos via a web tool without logging in (which is a security risk). We recommend asking the uploader directly for the file.

2. "Invalid URL"

Facebook links can be messy.

  • Bad Link: facebook.com/share/p/... (Mobile share links sometimes fail).
  • Good Link: facebook.com/username/videos/123456789... or facebook.com/watch/?v=123456789....
  • Fix: Try opening the video in a desktop browser to get the canonical URL.

Why Choose SSDown for Facebook?

HD Quality Preservation

Facebook heavily compresses videos. SSDown tries to fetch the highest quality source stream available (often 720p or 1080p). We don't re-compress it further.

Audio Extraction (Coming Soon)

Sometimes you just want the audio from a motivational speech or a music cover found on Facebook. SSDown's MP4 files are high fidelity, allowing you to easily convert them to MP3 later using any basic converter.

Clean & Safe

Many Facebook downloaders are infested with pop-up ads and malware. SSDown commits to a "Clean Web" policy. No intrusive ads, no redirects to gambling sites, and absolutely no software installation required.

Use Cases: Who Needs This?

1. Digital Marketers

Facebook Ad Library is great, but saving competitor ads for offline analysis is better. Download successful video ads to study their hooks, pacing, and calls-to-action (CTA).

2. Archivists

Facebook is notorious for banning accounts or removing content without warning. If you have years of family memories uploaded there, do not trust FB as your only backup. Download your own videos to a hard drive to ensure your memories are safe forever.

3. Content Curators

Found a hilarious clip? Download it to share in your Telegram group or Discord server. Native video files play instantly and get much better engagement than links.

Conclusion

Facebook is a massive library of human creativity and connection. Don't let that content be locked inside an app. With SSDown, you hold the key to access, save, and enjoy Facebook videos on your terms—anytime, anywhere, offline.

Start backing up your favorite moments today!