How to Save Online Videos to Your iPhone or Android Phone

The download worked, the bar filled up, and now the video is nowhere to be found. It happens to almost everyone the first time, and the answer is nearly always the same: the file is in your Downloads folder, not in your photos yet.

Here is exactly where files go and how to get them where you want them.

On iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Download in Safari

Since iOS 13, Safari can download files by itself, so you don't need any app.

1. Copy the video link from the app with Share, then Copy link.
2. Open Safari and paste it into the downloader.
3. Pick a quality. When Safari asks, tap Download.

A small arrow appears in Safari's address bar while the file downloads. Tap it any time to see your downloads.

Step 2: Find the file

Downloads go to the Files app, in a folder called Downloads. Open Files, tap Browse, and look under iCloud Drive or On My iPhone. Which one depends on a setting: Settings, then Apps, then Safari, then Downloads. On older versions of iOS it is Settings, then Safari, then Downloads.

Tip: choose On My iPhone there if your iCloud storage is nearly full. Big videos fill it fast.

Step 3: Move it into Photos

1. Open the video in Files.
2. Tap the share icon, the square with an arrow.
3. Tap Save Video.

It now sits in Photos with everything else. Delete the copy in Files afterwards, so the video doesn't take up space twice.

Using Chrome on iPhone?

Chrome asks what to do when the download finishes. Choose to save it to Files, then follow step 3 above.

On Android

Step 1: Download in Chrome

1. Copy the video link from the app's Share menu.
2. Open Chrome and paste it into the downloader.
3. Pick a quality. A bar at the bottom shows the download.

Step 2: Find the file

Every download goes to the Download folder on your phone's storage. You can reach it three ways:

• Tap Open on the bar Chrome shows when it finishes.
• Open the Files app, often called Files by Google or My Files on Samsung, then Downloads.
• In Chrome, tap the three dots, then Downloads.

Step 3: See it in your gallery

Gallery apps scan the Download folder by themselves:

• Samsung Gallery shows it as an album called Download.
• Google Photos lists it under Collections, then On this device, then Download.

If it doesn't appear, open the file once from your Files app and it will be picked up.

Space, data and battery

• Use WiFi for big files. A 10 minute video in 1080p can be 300 MB or more. The video quality lesson has sizes for every quality.
• Pick 720p for phone viewing. It looks sharp on any phone screen and is about half the size of 1080p.
• Keep the screen on for long downloads. Some phones pause downloads when the screen locks for a while.
• Clear old downloads from time to time. The Downloads folder grows quietly in the background.

When a video won't play or won't save

• "This file can't be played" on iPhone: it is probably a WebM or MKV file. Download the MP4 version instead, or install the free VLC app, which plays nearly everything. The formats lesson explains why.
• No sound: try another quality. If you only want the sound, use the Audio tab and save an MP3.
• Safari says it can't download the file: check you have free space, then try again on WiFi.
• The download stops halfway: long videos take a while for our server to prepare. Leave the page open until the bar finishes.

Try it now

Copy any video link and paste it into the downloader. For app specific steps, see the guides for TikTok and Instagram.