Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with billions of users worldwide. Many people use Facebook not only to connect with friends and family but also to consume content like videos, images, and articles. A common question people have is whether it’s possible to download and save this content from Facebook for personal use.
Can you download videos from Facebook?
Yes, it is possible to download videos posted on Facebook. There are a few different ways to do this:
- Use a Facebook video downloader – There are various websites and browser extensions that allow you to enter the URL of a Facebook video and download the video file. Examples include FBDown.net, SaveFrom.net, VideoHunter, etc.
- Use the copy and paste method – You can right-click on the Facebook video while it’s playing and select “Copy Video URL.” Then paste this URL into a website like KeepVid.com which will extract the video file for download.
- Use video software – Software like 4K Video Downloader and Freemake Video Downloader can detect and download videos from Facebook when you provide the link.
Downloaded Facebook videos are saved in MP4 format which can then be played on your computer or other devices. The quality of the video will depend on what resolution was uploaded to Facebook.
Can you download photos from Facebook?
Similar to videos, users can also save photos that are posted on Facebook. Some options for downloading Facebook photos include:
- Right-click and “Save Image As” – Simply right-click on any image on Facebook, choose “Save Image As” and save the photo file to your computer.
- Facebook photo downloader – Websites like SaveMySnap allow you to enter a Facebook photo URL and download the picture. There are also browser extensions like Facebook Image Downloader.
- Facebook photo albums – On desktop browsers, you can open a photo album on Facebook and click the three dots in the upper right corner. Choose “Download Album” to save all photos from that album as a ZIP file.
The downloaded Facebook photos retain their original resolution. Do keep in mind that you should only save and use photos that you have permission or rights to use.
Can you download Facebook posts and comments?
It is not directly possible to download plain text Facebook posts and comments the way you can download Facebook videos and photos. However, there are some workarounds:
- Copy and paste the text – You can manually select and copy the text from any post or comment and paste it into a document or text file for saving.
- Use a browser extension – Extensions like Downloader for Facebook allow you to save text, photos, and videos from posts.
- Facebook data download – Requesting an archive of your Facebook data will include your own posts and comments as well as those you’ve reacted to or engaged with.
While Facebook’s terms do not allow data scraping, you are generally allowed to manually save content you have permission to access for personal archival use.
Can you download Facebook Messenger conversations?
Facebook Messenger chats can also be downloaded and backed up, using these methods:
- Request archive from Facebook – You can request a download of your Facebook data which includes your Messenger history. Note it may not have full message history if beyond the retention period.
- Use third-party apps – Apps like Messenger Chat History Exporter can connect to your account and export chats into various formats for saving conversations.
- Manual copy-paste – Tedious, but you can manually select and copy parts of a Messenger conversation to save into a text document or app.
Saving your Messenger chats is a good way to preserve important conversations or memories. Just be mindful of anyone else’s privacy when storing conversations involving multiple people.
Can you download your entire Facebook profile data?
Facebook does allow users to download an extensive archive of data associated with their account, through Facebook’s “Download Your Information” tool. Here’s an overview:
- Photos and videos – You can download all photos and videos you’ve posted and those you’re tagged in.
- Posts and comments – Includes your posts, comments, reactions to others’ content, and posts/comments you’ve deleted or hidden.
- Messages – Includes your Messenger conversations as mentioned above.
- Profile information – Your bio, contacts, interests, tags, etc. But not friend list.
- Activity log – Chronological log of your engagement on Facebook.
- Search history – Record of things you’ve searched for on Facebook.
Requesting your full Facebook data archive gives you a comprehensive way to preserve your profile information and data for personal use. The data can be requested in HTML or JSON format.
Are there any limitations to downloading from Facebook?
There are a few limitations to be aware of when downloading content from Facebook:
- No friend list – You cannot download your full list of Facebook friends and connections.
- Partial message history – Messenger and comments may have limited history available beyond a certain retention period.
- Blocked content – Anything from a user who has blocked you or you’ve blocked will not be included.
- Private content – You cannot download others’ non-public posts without permission.
- No data scraping – Broad automated extraction of data is restricted by Facebook’s terms.
In summary, you can download your own account information and content you have access to view on Facebook, but not data owned by other users. Also beware of third-party apps requesting excessive permissions.
Is it legal to download content from Facebook?
In most cases, it is perfectly legal for an individual Facebook user to manually download and save content from their personal account for personal archival use. Specific guidelines include:
- Personal use only – Downloaded content should not be redistributed, sold commercially, or used out of context.
- Non-automated methods – No systematic data scraping, but using approved tools or manual saving is generally fine.
- Public content – Do not save or republish private, copyrighted, or confidential content.
- Review platform policies – Stay compliant with Facebook’s Terms of Service and Community Standards.
- Consent – If storing data involving other users, it is courteous to inform them and get consent where applicable.
As long as you follow applicable laws and platform policies, downloading select Facebook content for personal archival purposes is permitted. But mass data collection from Facebook raises legal issues.
Conclusion
Facebook provides users the ability to download and save much of their personal content for backup and archival purposes. This includes photos, videos, posts, comments, and full profile data through Facebook’s tools. However, users should be mindful of privacy, permission, and platform policies when storing anything involving other users. Responsible personal downloading of Facebook data is generally allowed, but scraping data or republishing private content without consent is restricted.