How To: Download Videos From Facebook, Actually ANY Site & ANY File
Apple, Computers, How To's, Internet, Software Add commentsWe have all been in a situation where we have found something on the Web we would like to save to our computer but we can’t find the download button. Arrr!!! Pictures, YouTube videos, Facebook videos, MySpace music, you name it.
If I can view it on my screen why can’t I download it? Well you can, you just need the right browser.
There are many products, scripts, extensions, you can buy or download that will give you some of the same functionality, but why would you buy a software tool to download free internet content? Also you may not be to comfortable with installing a bunch of third party scripts that could infest your computer with Adware; how will you know!
Safari Is The Solution
Lets face it, Safari (Webkit) is becoming the de-facto standard for a web browser. It is now available for download for both Winblows and OS X. The best part about Safari is that is has a small secret under the Window menu, Activity.
The Activity window shows all the current files that Safari has(is) downloaded(ing) (to display the webpage you are viewing) and sorts them by site. To download a specific file from the web, just find it in the Activity window and double-click. If you are downloading a video from Facebook or any other site, it will probably be a large file size and still be downloading when you view the Activity window.
That should open up a new browser window and download the file. Then you can just save it to your computer.
That’s right, all your favorite artists that place music on MySpace but have not allowed you to download the songs can easily be downloaded in a few clicks. Unfortunately it doesn’t work for 100% of the stuff on the web but I would say it is more like 99%. You can download YouTube, Revver, AOL, Facebook videos, MySpace audio, and much more.
Conclusion
What I like about this method over others is that it works for ALL my websites. I don’t have to worry about installing a plugin for Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Revver, … you see where I’m going.
What do you think, is this the method you like using to download the not-so-easy content from the web?
This technique beats all others. Safari just keeps getting better, even though this feature has been in there for quite a while I think. After being a diehard Camino user, I’ve gone to 90% Safari, but I’m looking for some free plugin to force all new windows to open in tabs.
(via PaulStamatiou)
@Adam Yes, this feature is not new to Safari 3. I guess the open links in new tabs feature doesn’t work under the general settings?
No, well not for sites that have specifically javascriped a new window link- or links opened from other applications, (Newsfire). That said, I am at work on a nasty windows PC and as such have no access to check the validity of my comments… I could be talking bunkum! (ah, the joy of 1820’s terminology).
how do i watch the .flv files once i’ve downloaded them?
@tommy If you are using OS X, I recommend using either the Perian plugin for Quicktime.
If you are on a Windows box, You can use either the VLC player or if you just want a single .flv player try using Wimpy.
Thanks for the info. I’m making a website for a bunch of friends at college and they wanted their facebook vids on the site. Only many didn’t seem too excited about emailing me the files. Once again thanks a lot. ^_^
Hi Blake,
Thanks for the advice, that’s awesome. I never knew Safari had that feature.
However, I’ve downloaded some videos off facebook, but the volume does not seem to work. I’ve tried them with VLC, and with Quicktime with Perian component… I’s wondering if you could help me out.
If you want to try and download the same videos I was trying, they’re on my facebook video page - Nic Carvalho - The Cat Came Back, and St. James Infirmary. Thanks.
Pax, Nic
i have the same “no volume” problem. was there a solution to this? thanks~
@kim From my recollection from the previous volume problem, it was an issue with the player the person was using. Are you using VLC to play the video?
I double click on the activity link and up pops a new window and a ‘get_video’ file appears in the downloads window. I try and open the file and quicktime can’t read it. Any ideas?
@Doug If you are using OS X, I recommend using either the Perian plugin for Quicktime.
If you are on a Windows box, You can use either the VLC player or if you just want a single .flv player try using Wimpy.
Is there any way to after the video is download to put it into itunes movies?
@kat You will need to convert it to a .mp4 to import it into iTunes. Just do a Google search on .flv to .mp4 converter and pick your poison. The once you have the video file converted, open iTunes and select File->Import. Then select your video.
whenever I double click on the site in the activity box, it just takes me to the page and doesnt take me anywhere to make it possible to download the video.
help?
@sarah - What you are looking for is not the link to the site, but rather you want to double-click the “.flv” file that in under that site. Look for the link that ends in a .flv and click that.
Blake,
Actually, I’m having the same problem Sarah has. I get all the files Safari has downloaded but I do not see any “.flv” or any other video file extension. I am trying to download a video from Facebook and so far I only have had success with TubeHunter Free Trial. The problem is that it will give me only 30 seconds of video. I have double-clicked on all major files in the website to see if there is any that I don´t know but I havent got any luckier. Any help would be mostly appreciated.
@Alberto - Just tested it. You must make sure that you have started the video before you look for the .flv file. Once started you should see in the Activity window a file that is loading with the .flv extension. Double-click it and it will open a new window and download the file to your computer. Again you will need to convert it or download a flv player to view.
I downloaded one vid from Facebook this way - worked just fine, but then i tried to download the 2nd part to it from FB and it keeps showing the first video…
Help Please!
can i download myspace music with this feature?
nice tip!
thanks
I am trying to download from a facebook group that put up NBC videos from the olympics in HD. In the activity window, files appear but it is only an .mp4 so when I double click on it it just takes me to the linked version of it so I can watch it online but I can’t actually download it. Any tips?
Hi, I am trying to download a video off facebook. I open the video, click on window, then click on activity. I see the video page come up in the Activity box and then I couble click on it… nothing happens. It just goes to the internet page with the video…?
Thanks, Sarah
having the same problem as sarah, the facebook video appears as a mp4 file in the activity window….when double clicked, it opens a new window and plays the video, no download :S
Great tip…just what I was looking for. I am having trouble with it, though; I’m trying to save a few videos from Facebook onto my computer but when I click on the .flv file, it sends it right to my Downloads pile but as a document, for some reason, and I get this message: “There is no default application to open the document …” Is this what is supposed to happen? Do I need to use VLC at this point? Thanks so much for your help!
Yeah, i have the same problem as Sarah. I use safari and i click on the video being played in the ‘active window’ thingy, but all it does is take me to a new webpage and plays the video there. No option comes up to allow me to download it to my computer, and i’ve even gone to the ‘Windows > Downloads’ area and tried to copy the file because no option to download appears there. I’ve tried everything to get videos off of facebook but nothing seems to work. HELP!!!
JAY- I am trying to download from a facebook group that put up NBC videos from the olympics in HD. In the activity window, files appear but it is only an .mp4 so when I double click on it it just takes me to the linked version of it so I can watch it online but I can’t actually download it. Any tips?
Okay J, once you do have that window open to the linked version what you can do is once it opens, probably w/ quicktime, just click on the tab next to the forward button and save it as a source, it should download onto your comp.
Hope that helps anyone.
I am having trouble because when i double click the file, it brings me to a new web page where it plays it in a quicktime video which i cannot download. no download window is coming up. any suggestions?
SAFARI SOLUTION
Some people are having difficulty, i.e. when they click on the activity it takes them to a new window. I am not sure why this occurs whether it is safari update related or os related but here is the solution…
Hold down CTRL and double click
Thats it ….
Have fun
Hi, I am having the same problem as Sarah and.. all of the above.
I believe its the specific .mp4 video files that we cannot download, though I may be wrong. However, this….. stupid, @&#*ing, ^@&#$, *@&#&#@#, *@&#&@ .mp4 video won’t download for me!
Anonymous & Jake, I tried your two suggestions and neither of them worked.
Anyone else know a solution?
Help!
I’ve followed every instruction but I am still unable to download a video from facebook. It comes up with this http://i41.tinypic.com/21bt9×4.jpg, and I’ve double clicked and held down CTRL and double clicked on basically all the links but just doesn’t download. Am I doing something wrong? Please help
it allows me to click save as source, but then says i need quick time pro to download it, instead of the free quick time version. is there anything else i could download that would make me be able to download the video?
Is this legal?
And also can ISPs track it back to your computer that you’re downloading all this stuff that you shouldn’t?
hi ive followed everything you said. I came across the activity box, clicked on it and it took me to another page with the video. i right clicked it and it said i needed something called QUICKTIME. I cant find an .flv file in the activity box. please help me ….
cheers.
So i had the same trouble all of you did trying to get a video from facebook to download. But i figured it out. When you pull up the activity bar dont click on the MP4 until you hold down the ctrl button. It just worked for me. Here is step but step what I did.
1.Clicked on Tools and reset Safari. When the box pops up click on reset.
2.Pulled back up facebook and got to the video that i wanted to down load and started to play it.
3.Pull up the activity as stated above.
4.Hold ctrl scroll to find the MP4 then double click on it.
5. The box to download it should pop up. It will be saved to you downloads file.
Like I said it just worked for me several times in a row. Hope this is helpful.
Ok so i was having the same problem that many of you were regarding the MP4 but i finally figured it out. The person who suggested holding down control is correct it does work. Here is step by step what i did.
1. Clicked on tools and reset safari. When the window pops up click reset.
2. Log into facebook and get to the source of the video that you want to download.
3. Start playing the video.
4. Click on the Window tab and then click on activity from the drop down.
5. Hold ctrl and scroll to find the MP4.
6. While holding control double click on the MP4 link and the download box should pop up.
7. It will be saved to your download file.
Like I said it worked for me several times. So i hope that this helps. Also i am not sure that you have to reset Safari but that was one of the steps that i did and it worked.
Good Luck!
i think a possible solution is to click at the down-arrow at the bottom right corner of the quicktime video and click “Save as Source”. it works for me.
I too get the Quicktime window when I double click the video file that I selected from the Activity window.
I have Quicktime Pro installed, but when I try to download the Facebook video I get this message:
“We’ve run into errors while trying to save this movie.
The file was not saved on disk.
The error number was -2015
Hold Down Option and Double Click the .mp4 in the activity , not control.
I need some help with this, I’m trying to use this to get a video off of facebook, but instead of the video itself the activitys page seems to only display the page the video is posted on, not the video itself — and double clicking doesnt do anything.
Please help?
i have no clue where the window button is. i see the pictures above but it looks nothing like my safari
that’s why i love mac
Yes. ISP’s can track and provide that information under the DMCA (The Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
I double click on the thing i want to download in the activity box but nothing happens.
help mee please
Hey,
I can’t get it to work at all…. can you help me in any way?
Hi,
I have followed the instructions and managed to get it downloaded to my computer. When I play it in iTunes, all I see is a green screen. Help please! Thanks!
I am having the same problem as others where i double click and i only get the video in a new window but no download. Please help
found a solution for the .mp4 files just opening in a new window.
try using the ATL (or option)+double click, not CTRL like the other users said
I tried that but it downloads as a .html how do I change that?…
Blake,
I know you probably get this a lot but I also tried to do your idea on a Facebook video and I only get a new window with he video there. I try to find the .flv format but it’s not there.
Helpppp.
does it work on safari version 4? i can’t seem to find the window button. x_x
@Sarah - your solution worked like a charm!! kudos \m/
I use ULTRASURF proxy software and safari doesnt use this proxy so it cant load my sites.in my country facebook is blocked and I must use proxy.
so what can I do??
how do i download it if i dont have safari
@ Jake
If you’re using Safari on OS X, and when you doubleclick - it just plays the video - then you should hold down the alt key when you doubleclick it. It will automatically download it. I guess alt is Mac equivalent to ctrl in Win
Hi,
I posted a video on my friends wall, so it was actually through facebook is there any way i can download cuz ive tried other ways and it doesnt work.
Wow! Very surprised that worked.
Thanks!
MAC USERS
Facebook to YouTube:
Window >> Activity
Find the file ending in .mp4
If you double-click it it’ll just open in a new window
But double-click it WHILE HOLDING DOWN the apple key (next to the spacebar), and it’ll download.
At least it worked for me
Hope that helps!
Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for this! My hard drive completely crashed and I lost everything. Ive been trying to copy my Facebook videos to my computer for the past 2 days and just came across this…
I was having the same problem of opening up new tabs and not seeing the file extension. I am using Windows XP so I dont know if it makes a difference or not but the file extension I got for my videos was mp4. I held down the Ctrl button, double clicked the mp4 file and it downloaded with no problems.
Thanks again!!!!
Okay guys, no idea if anyone is interested n this anymore, but this post really helped me out so I’m gonna share what I found out:
I had the same problem as other people here downloading a video off Facebook because it was a .m4p and would simply be opened in a new page. Buuut what I did then was to copy and paste the link of this page (ending .m4p) in the Safari download window - and it worked!
So if the ctrl button or all the other tips don’t do the trick (as it happened for me) try this one, that’s what did it for me.
Cheers for that great post in the first place and all you people helping out!
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