Where to find a downloaded video on iPhone or Android
You downloaded a video, the download looks finished, but nothing shows up in your gallery. That is normal: browsers store downloads in a separate folder. Here is where to look on each device.
On iPhone
- Open the Files app.
- Go to On My iPhone, then Downloads. If you use iCloud Drive, also check iCloud Drive, then Downloads.
- To add the video to Photos: open it, tap the Share icon, then Save Video.
In Safari you can also tap the download icon that appears near the address bar to see recent downloads.
On Android
- Open the Files app (sometimes called My Files).
- Choose Downloads.
- To see it in the gallery, open the video once with your video player, or move it to the Movies or DCIM folder, depending on your phone.
In Chrome, the three-dot menu also has a Downloads entry with the full list.
On PC and Mac
The file is in your computer's Downloads folder, or in the folder set in your browser settings. In Chrome, Ctrl + J (Cmd + Shift + J on Mac) opens the downloads list directly.
The file will not open
MP4 is read by almost every device. If it does not play, check that the download is complete: a file of only a few KB means it stopped early. Download it again from the download page and wait until the button shows it is done.
Audio files
If you chose MP3, the file is in the same Downloads folder. On a phone, open it with the Files app and a music player; some players only scan certain folders, so you may need to move the file into Music. To get an MP3 from a video, see convert TikTok to MP3 or the video to MP3 converter.
Keep your files organised
- Rename each file with the date and the topic.
- Create a folder for each project or subject.
- Delete files you no longer need, especially large MP4s, to free storage.
- Back up important videos to your computer or cloud storage.
Still nothing?
- You may have downloaded in a private window, which some browsers handle differently. Try again in a normal window.
- Your storage may be full; free some space and retry.
- Some phones ask where to save the file: confirm the folder when prompted.
If the problem comes from the download itself, read Video download not working: common fixes. To start a new download, you can use the TikTok video downloader or the Instagram Reels downloader.
A reminder about rights
Keep downloaded videos for personal use, and respect the author's copyright if you want to share them. When in doubt, share the original link instead.
FAQ
Why is the video not in my Photos app? Downloads go to the Files app first; save the video to Photos from there.
Can I choose the download folder? Yes, in your browser settings on a computer, and on some Android phones.
Does the file disappear after a while? No, it stays until you delete it.