Multimedia

Learn How To Download Facebook Reels With This Step-by-step Guide

how to download facebook reels step by step guide

This post may contain affiliate links for some products I might recommend. If you purchase anything through those links, I may earn a commission, which helps this blog run. Learn more in my privacy policy.

If you want to know how to download Facebook Reels, you’ve come to the right place.

Short-form content on social media platforms is hot right now. Before TikTok’s short-form content became trendy, most marketers struggled with getting traffic to their offers. This was revolutionized by TikTok, which made it possible for total beginners to reach thousands of individuals quickly.

Every platform wants to compete for users’ attention when a new trend enters the market. As a result, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, and Pinterest Content Ideas started to appear once TikTok short-form content became hugely popular.

Each of these social networking sites is competing for their users’ attention. Making their reels accessible to a larger audience is the most significant way to achieve that.

While traffic was a real issue a couple of years ago, now it’s the easiest thing for marketers, thanks to short-form content. Thanks to Facebook Reels, Joshua Smith, a beginner affiliate marketer, got 115,000 followers on Facebook in 30 days.

Similar to how people first wanted to download YouTube videos, they might now want to download Facebook Reels. And this is what you’ll learn in this article.

What Are Facebook Reels?

Facebook Reels is short-form video content that lets you quickly promote your content to your followers and reach a new audience.

Reels are similar to the video ads you see in your News Feed. However, they’re different in that they can be shared outside of Facebook and embedded on other sites. They also have unique design and branding options that make them stand out from other types of videos on Facebook.

The maximum length for a Facebook Reel is 60 seconds. This gives advertisers more time to tell their brand stories and build interest in what they’re selling. However, you can only create a Facebook Reel on your mobile device.

Facebook ​​Reels are a great way to tell your brand story, showcase your products and services, and connect with new audiences in a lightweight, engaging format perfect for mobile.

How To Download Facebook Reels

Below, I’ll walk you through different methods of downloading Facebook Reels, whether you want to use a third-party app, your desktop or mobile, a Chrome extension, or a free online video downloader.

How To Download Facebook Reels On Desktop With A Third-Party App

You can download Facebook Reels on a desktop using a third-party app such as 4K Video Downloader. This free video downloader is excellent for downloading and converting YouTube videos to MP4 and extracting audio from videos.

But first, you need the Facebook Reel URL.

How To Get The Facebook Reel URL

Facebook Reels are only available on mobile, so you’ll need to get the link from there.

Once inside the Facebook app, find a Reel you want to download. You may do this by browsing Reels or by going to a specific page and selecting Reels.

When watching a Facebook Reel, click on the three dots at the right-bottom of the screen.

Facebook reels three dots

Next, click on Copy link.

Facebook reels copy link

The Reel URL will be copied to the clipboard.

You can now paste the link into a text editor or send it to your email so you can have it on your desktop.

Download Facebook Reels With 4K Video Downloader

To download the Facebook Reel on desktop with 4K Video Downloader, download the app from their website, install it, and open it.

Paste the Reel URL into 4K Video Downloader.

4K Video Downloader Paste Link

You can select the format you want to download, or you can choose to extract the audio only.

4K Video Downloader download Facebook Reel

This app will name all Reels the same: “​​Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.” If you download multiple Reels, it is best to rename any Reels you download right away so you don’t get mixed up.

To download the Facebook Reel, hit the Download button, and you’re ready to go.

How To Download Facebook Reels With A Chrome Extension?

If you don’t want to install a third-party app, you can download Facebook Reels using a Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.

The Chrome Web Store offers many video downloaders you can try. While some might work on some video-sharing sites, others might not.

To download Facebook Reels on Chrome, go to the Chrome Web Store and type “download Facebook videos” on the search box.

Chrome Web Store Video Downloader Wise

Based on the number of users and positive reviews, I chose Video Downloader Wise.

Then, click on Add to Chrome.

Video Downloader Wise add to Chrome

If you don’t see the extension icon on the toolbar, click the Extension icon.

Google Chrome Extensions icon

Then, select the Pin button for the extension to appear on the toolbar.

Google Chrome manage extensions activate Video Downloader Wise

To get the Facebook Reel URL, go to your mobile, click on the Reel’s three dots, and select Copy the link, just like we did when downloading with 4K Video Downloader. You can now send it to your desktop via email.

When you paste the link on your Chrome browser, you’ll notice that the extension icon doesn’t light up.

Facebook Reel downloader extension not light up

This means the extension is not recognizing the video on this page. So we need to get around this obstacle.

As you’ve noticed, the Facebook Reel URL looks like something like this:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/XXXXXX

The XXXXXX number is the Facebook Reel ID.

We need to change the URL first to watch the Reel like we were watching a regular Facebook video.

This is what you need to do:

Change the Facebook Reel from this:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/XXXXXX

To this:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=XXXXXX

You need to replace “reel” with “watch” and add a “?v=” before the Reel ID. By doing that, you’ll be redirected to the following page, where you can watch the Facebook Reel just like a regular Facebook video.

Facebook Reel watch page extension recognizes video to download

And now the Chrome extension recognizes the video, as you can see from the icon lighting up.

To download the Facebook Reel, you only need to hover over the video for a Download button to appear.

Facebook Reel watch page hover video download button

The Facebook Reel will immediately be downloaded to your desktop when you click the Download button.

How To Download Facebook Reels Using An Online Video Downloader?

Another method of downloading Facebook Reels is using a free online video downloader.

Whether you’re a Mac or Windows user, this is the quickest and simplest way to download Facebook Reels.

Many free online video downloaders can convert YouTube to WAV, YouTube to MP4, YouTube to MP3, Vimeo to MP4, and many more.

For this example, I’ll be using a website called SnapSave.

Head to SnapSave and paste the Facebook Reel URL into the text box.

SnapSave download Facebook video text box

After hitting the Download button, you’ll be able to choose the video resolution you want to download.

SnapSave download Facebook Reels choose resolution

Some might need extra render time, while others won’t. Simply select the file you wish to download and press the Download button.

That’s it! You have just downloaded a Facebook Reel using a free online Facebook video downloader.

How To Download Facebook Reels on Mobile?

Facebook Reels are only available on mobile, so it makes sense you may want to download them on your mobile device.

Fortunately, there are ways to do that.

Go to the Google Play Store and type “Facebook Reels download” (or another similar query) on the search box.

Google Play Store Facebook Reels downloader apps

As you can see, many apps supposedly can download Facebook Reels. For this example, I’ll choose the first that appears, Downloader for Facebook Reels by Siritop.

This video downloader for Reels doesn’t add any watermark to the downloaded Facebook Reel. There is no need to purchase a pro version to download any video quality. However, the free version displays ads, which might be annoying.

Downloader for Facebook Reels by Siritop install

Click on Install to begin the installation process.

In the meantime, you can go to the Facebook Reel you wish to download and copy the link (as outlined previously in this article).

When you open the recently installed app, the Reel link will automatically be pasted on the text box.

Facebook Reels downloader for mobile

After clicking the Download button, the app will start fetching the file. Scroll down the page until you reach the available video qualities. Select the resolution you want and click the Download button.

Facebook Reels downloader for mobile choose resolution

Your Facebook Reel will appear on your mobile’s video folder in a few moments.

And that’s how you download a Facebook Reel on your mobile, whether you use an Android or iOS device.

How To Download Your Own Facebook Reels?

Few people are aware that they may download their own Reels via the Facebook app.

The sole drawback is that Reels are saved without music if they contain audio from Facebook or Instagram’s music library. However, Reels with the original audio will be stored with music in your camera roll.

Related: Best Instagram Story Viewer Apps

To download your own Facebook Reels to your mobile device, open the Facebook app and tap the Menu tab (three lines).

Facebook app click on the menu

Next, click on Reels.

Facebook app click on Reels

Then click on your profile image in the upper-right corner.

Facebook app reels click on profile image

This will load your Reels page, where you can view them all.

my Facebook Reels

Simply select the Reel you want to download and click on the three dots at the screen’s bottom-right corner.

Facebook Reels three dots

Click on Save reel to phone.

Facebook Reels save reel to phone

Go to the video folder of your smartphone to locate it. And that’s how you download your own Facebook Reels!

Facebook Reels FAQs

Below I answer the most common questions regarding downloading Facebook Reels.

How do I download Facebook Reels?

You can download Facebook Reels with a third-party app like 4K Video Downloader, a Chrome extension, and an online video downloader. All these options are free.

How do I watch Facebook Reels?

You can watch Facebook Reels on Facebook’s news feed. To watch Facebook Reels, click on the Menu tab of your Facebook app on your mobile. Scroll down and click Reels to open a new page where you may swipe up to watch the next Reel.

How long are Facebook Reels?

Facebook Reels are short videos that can last up to 60 seconds. You can share your Reels with the public or with your Facebook friends and incorporate effects and music into your Reels.

Are Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels the same?

Technically, they are not the same. However, since Facebook has integrated Reels into its own platform, we may argue they are the same. This means that when you publish a Reel on Instagram, you can now share it on Facebook as well if you wish to do so.

The main difference between Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels is that Facebook allows you to put URLs in the video comments. By leveraging this clickable link on Facebook Reels, you can get more traffic to your website.

Are Facebook Reels available to everyone?

Facebook Reels are available in over 150 countries globally and are set to Public by default for creators above 18.

Conclusion

This tutorial hopefully demonstrated how to download Facebook Reels effectively on desktop and mobile, using a third-party app, a Chrome extension, and an online video converter.

You can see that there are various methods for downloading Facebook Reels. You only need to decide what serves you and your goals the best.

If you need to download more videos or audio from video-streaming sites, check out my guides on downloading YouTube videos, Twitch videos, Vimeo videos, and Spotify songs.

Vaslou is a passionate digital creator and blogger who loves to explore unique paths to generate online income. He’s also a musician, always looking for exciting paths to articulate his inventive spirit in the musical realm. When he’s not at work on his online endeavors, Vasco loves to delve into spiritual realms to become a better version of himself.

Leave a Comment