A Facebook video downloader shortcut is a small automation you build in Apple's free Shortcuts app so that saving a clip becomes a single tap from the iOS Share sheet. Under the hood it does exactly what you'd do by hand: it takes the Facebook link you share into it, passes that link to a browser-based tool like the FB DownS Facebook video downloader at /facebook-video-download, and saves the resulting MP4 straight into your Photos app. If you'd rather not build anything, the same website works on its own in Safari — the shortcut just removes a couple of taps. Both routes are free, need no App Store download, and keep the video for personal offline viewing.
iOS is stricter than Android about where files can go, which is exactly why a shortcut is handy: it can drop a finished video directly into Photos without you touching the Files app. Below are both methods — the no-setup website route and the one-time Shortcuts build — plus where the video lands and how to fix the snags iPhone users hit most.
The quick answer
Copy a Facebook video's link, hand it to the FB DownS downloader, and save the MP4 to your iPhone. You can do that manually in Safari in under a minute, or wrap the same steps in a Shortcuts automation you trigger from the Share sheet. Both work for public feed videos, Reels, Watch uploads and finished live replays — anything you can already open and watch in a normal browser tab.
Two ways to do it
There's no wrong choice here — it comes down to how often you save videos. If you grab the odd clip now and then, the website method is faster because there's nothing to set up. If you save videos regularly, spending five minutes once to build a shortcut pays off every time afterward, turning the whole thing into a single tap.
- Website method: no setup, works instantly in Safari — best for occasional saves.
- Shortcut method: five-minute one-time build, then one tap from the Share sheet — best for regular saves.
- Both use the same free FB DownS tool and save to the same place, your Photos app.
The simple website method
This is the route to use if you'd rather not build anything. It's the reliable fallback, and it's worth learning first because the shortcut simply automates these same steps.
- In the Facebook app, tap the Share icon under the video and choose "Copy link."
- Open Safari and go to the FB DownS Facebook video downloader at /facebook-video-download.
- Touch and hold the input field, tap Paste, then tap Download.
- Choose HD or SD; when the video opens in Safari, tap and hold it and choose "Download Linked File," or tap the download arrow in the address bar.
- Open the Files app, find the MP4 in Downloads, tap Share, then choose "Save Video" to send it to Photos.
Building the Shortcuts version
The Shortcuts app comes pre-installed on every modern iPhone. Building a simple downloader shortcut means creating an automation that accepts a shared URL, sends it to the FB DownS tool, and saves the result to Photos. You only do this once.
- Open the Shortcuts app and tap the plus icon to create a new shortcut.
- Tap the information icon, turn on "Show in Share Sheet," and set it to accept URLs.
- Add a "Get URLs from Input" action so the shortcut reads the Facebook link you share into it.
- Add an "Open URLs" or "Get Contents of URL" action pointing at the FB DownS tool so the link is processed there.
- Finish by adding a "Save to Photo Album" action so the returned video lands in Photos, then name the shortcut something like "Save FB Video."
Running it from the Share sheet
Once the shortcut exists, saving a video is quick. In the Facebook app, tap Share under the video, choose "Copy link" or find your shortcut directly in the Share sheet, and tap it. The shortcut hands the link to the tool and saves the finished MP4 to Photos, usually with a confirmation when it's done. If the Share sheet doesn't show it, copy the link first and run the shortcut from the Shortcuts app, pasting when prompted.
The first time you run any new shortcut, iOS asks for permission to access things like your Photos or clipboard. That prompt is normal and expected — it's iOS being cautious. Grant the permissions the shortcut genuinely needs and it will run smoothly from then on.
Where the video ends up
With either method the goal is the same: an MP4 in your Photos app, in Recents and in your Videos album, where it plays offline and shares like any clip you filmed yourself. If a video only reached the Files app — common with the manual route — open it there, tap Share, and choose "Save Video" to move it into Photos. A shortcut built with a "Save to Photo Album" action skips that step for you.
Troubleshooting on iPhone
The shortcut doesn't appear in the Share sheet
Open the shortcut, tap the information icon, and confirm "Show in Share Sheet" is on and set to accept URLs. If it still doesn't appear, scroll to the end of the Share sheet and tap "Edit Actions" to make sure the shortcut is enabled. As a fallback, copy the link and run the shortcut from inside the Shortcuts app.
The video won't save to Photos
iOS needs permission to add to your library. Open Settings, tap Shortcuts, and confirm it has Photos access, or open Settings, Privacy & Security, Photos, and allow it there. With the manual method, use the Files app: find the MP4 in Downloads, tap Share, then "Save Video."
The link isn't recognised
Facebook uses several URL shapes — fb.watch links, /reel/ URLs, /watch/?v= permalinks and /share/v/ shares. If a short share link fails, open it in Safari first, let it settle on the final video page, then copy that final URL from the address bar and use that instead — whether you're running the shortcut or the website method.
