Choose the copy you need
A bookmark, a platform archive and an editable original are not interchangeable. A bookmark keeps a reference to a post. An exported media file may preserve a viewable copy. The original project retains the assets needed for later editing. Decide which of these you need before deleting an account, replacing a phone or removing a post.
This article does not claim that every Facebook video can be downloaded here or that every export has a particular HD resolution. It also does not apply an unverified retention deadline to all Facebook content.
Use an account-owner workflow
For your own material, first look for the camera file or editing export. If it is unavailable, locate the current account-information export options in Meta's official tools. Select the account and media that match your backup task; a request containing unrelated account data makes the resulting archive harder to handle privately.
- Write down the expected videos or Reels, with titles or dates that distinguish similar clips.
- Keep enough free storage for the download and, where applicable, the extracted archive.
- Store the export privately. Account archives can contain information beyond the visible video.
- Match each required clip to the checklist before deleting the source copy.
Validate the result
Open the beginning, a middle section and the end. Check the sound and orientation, not only the filename. A short preview or thumbnail is not a complete video. If a clip is missing, revisit the account and export selection instead of assuming the file can be recovered from an unrelated public link.
The local media checker can report browser-readable dimensions and duration for a selected audio/video file. It does not open an entire account archive or verify that every expected item is present.
If the video belongs to someone else
Ask for an authorized original and permitted use. Do not work around a private group, login wall or creator restriction. The Facebook tool page describes this site's limited workflow; being viewable on Facebook does not guarantee that this service can or should retrieve it.
Sources and scope
AI-assisted source-linked revision; no live platform test or independent legal review.
Found an outdated step? Report a correction. Read our editorial and testing policy.