How to Download TikTok Videos: An MP4 Guide for Every Device

Quick answer: the three steps

Saving a public TikTok takes three steps. The file you get is the MP4 that TikTok serves for the post, at the resolution the platform delivers.

• Tap Share on the video in the TikTok app and choose Copy link.
• Paste the link into the TikTok downloader and press Download.
• Tap Save MP4 when the result card appears.

Save a TikTok to your iPhone camera roll

Safari is the simplest choice on iPhone. After you tap Save MP4, the file is saved to Files → Downloads. To move it into Photos, open the file, tap the Share button and choose Save Video. It then appears in your camera roll, where you can edit or share it like any other clip.

If you save a lot of clips, you can also keep them in Files and only move the ones you want to keep. Our Instagram video guide follows the same steps for Instagram posts.

Save a TikTok on Android

Chrome or another modern browser works well. Paste the link, press Download and tap Save MP4. The file goes to your Downloads folder, and most gallery apps index that folder, so the clip often shows up shortly afterward.

If it is missing from your gallery, open the Files app, go to Downloads and move the video to any folder you like.

Save a TikTok on a Mac or Windows PC

Open the TikTok video in a desktop browser, copy the URL from the address bar and paste it into the downloader. When you press Save MP4, your browser saves the file to its download folder, which is Downloads by default on Windows and macOS.

You can change the download location in your browser settings. Desktop is also the easiest place to rename a batch of files before you move them to a phone.

Once a file is on your computer, you can play it with any video player. If you plan to edit the clip, import the MP4 directly into your editor. There is no need to convert it first, because MP4 is the format most editing apps read natively.

Troubleshooting TikTok downloads

If a link does not resolve, check these common causes before you try again.

• Private accounts are not supported. Only public videos can be downloaded.
• Wrong link: copy the link from the individual video. A profile page or a hashtag page will not work.
• Removed videos cannot be fetched, because there is no longer a file to save.
• Slow first request: a video that has never been requested can take a moment. Repeat requests come back from cache almost instantly.

Creators, rights and fair use

Saving a video to watch offline is easy, but the video still belongs to its creator. Only save TikToks you have the right to use, such as your own videos, clips you have permission to keep or content the creator has released for reuse.

If you plan to repost a clip, ask the creator and credit them clearly. Creators who make their own work can also keep a high-quality copy of their drafts for their archive, instead of relying on a downloaded copy.

When to switch to the API

Many people only need a single clip now and then, and for that the steps above are enough. Saving a handful of videos by hand is what the free tool is for. If you need data from hundreds or thousands of TikTok posts, or you are building a product that processes video, the TikTok API is a better fit. CrawlMesh bills $1 per 1,000 results, with prepaid credits from $10, and failed calls are free. You can compare plans on the pricing page.