Facebook Reels don't have a built-in save button on either iPhone or Android, so most people assume you need to install a third-party app. You don't — your phone's browser is enough.

On iPhone (Safari or Chrome)

  1. Open the Facebook app, find the Reel, and tap the Share icon.
  2. Choose Copy Link.
  3. Open Safari or Chrome and go to FacebookReelDown.
  4. Paste the link and tap Get Video.
  5. Tap Download on the format you want. iOS will prompt you to save it — choose Save to Files or, depending on your browser settings, it'll land directly in your Photos app.

On Android (Chrome)

  1. In the Facebook app, tap the three-dot menu under the Reel and select Copy Link.
  2. Open Chrome and go to FacebookReelDown.
  3. Paste the link, tap Get Video, then tap Download.
  4. Android saves the file straight to your Downloads folder by default; from there you can move it into your Gallery app if you want it alongside your photos.

Why Use the Browser Instead of an App

Downloader apps ask for broad permissions — media access, sometimes background activity — just to do something a browser tab can already do without installing anything. Using FacebookReelDown in Safari or Chrome means there's nothing sitting on your phone afterward and nothing to update or uninstall later.

Tip: If a downloaded video doesn't show up where you expect, check your browser's Downloads page (⋮ menu → Downloads on most mobile browsers) — the file is almost always there even if it didn't appear in your gallery automatically.

What About Facebook Stories?

The same steps work for public Stories — copy the share link instead of the Reel link, and paste it into FacebookReelDown the same way. Just keep in mind Stories disappear after 24 hours, so download promptly if you want to keep one.

One Thing to Keep in Mind

This only works for Reels and Stories that are publicly shared. Private-account content isn't accessible through any external tool, by design — that's Facebook's privacy boundary, not a limitation specific to this method.

Prefer the shorter-URL version of this same tool? See FB Reel downloader. For Reels specifically shared inside Groups, see Facebook Group video downloading.