Video Downloader
English

How to Save a TikTok to Your Camera Roll

Last updated:

Saving a TikTok to your camera roll means storing the video as an MP4 file in the Photos app on an iPhone or in the gallery on an Android phone. There are two ways to do it.

The first way is the Save video option inside the TikTok app. The second way is a TikTok video downloader, which builds the file from the link of the video and leaves out the watermark. This guide covers both, and it shows where the file lands on each phone.

Save a TikTok With the Save Video Option

The Save video option is the download button built into the TikTok app. It works the same way on iPhone and Android.

  1. Open the video in the TikTok app.
  2. Tap the Share button, the arrow on the right side of the screen.
  3. Tap Save video. For a photo post, the option is Save photo.

TikTok saves the video to your camera roll. The copy carries a moving TikTok logo and the creator's username on top of the picture.

This option is not always there. TikTok's Help Center states that when you do not see it, the creator does not allow downloads.

Save a TikTok to Your iPhone Camera Roll Without the Watermark

A link-based download gives you the original video, the one TikTok plays before the logo is added. You need only the link and the Safari browser.

  1. In the TikTok app, tap Share, then tap Copy link.
  2. Open the downloader in Safari, paste the link and select Get video.
  3. Select Download HD video. Safari saves the file to the Downloads folder inside the Files app.
  4. Open the Files app, tap the video, tap the Share icon, then tap Save Video.

The last step is the one most guides leave out. Safari does not put a downloaded video in the Photos app by itself. The video reaches your camera roll only after you tap Save Video in the Files app.

The file is an MP4 with H.264 video. H.264 plays in the Photos app and opens in editors such as CapCut and iMovie without a converter.

Save a TikTok to an Android Gallery

On Android the steps are shorter, because the browser saves straight to a folder the gallery can read.

  1. In the TikTok app, tap Share, then tap Copy link.
  2. Open the downloader in Chrome or any other browser, paste the link and select Get video.
  3. Select Download HD video. The browser saves the MP4 to the Downloads folder.

Open your gallery app and look for an album named Downloads. Most gallery apps show the video there. If yours does not, open the Files app and tap the video in the Downloads folder.

Save Your Own TikTok or a Draft Without Posting

Your own posted video has the same Save video option. Open the video, tap the three dots at the bottom of the icons on the right, then tap Save video.

A draft has no Save video option, because it is not posted yet. The usual method is to post it privately first:

  1. Open the draft and go to the Post screen.
  2. Set Who can watch this video to Only me.
  3. Post the video. Nobody else can see it.
  4. Open the private video from your profile and tap Save video.

A link-based downloader does not work for this. It reads only public videos, and a video set to Only me is private.

Why the Save Video Option Is Missing

The Save video option is missing when downloads are turned off for that video. TikTok documents three situations:

  • The creator turned the Video downloads setting off. The setting covers every video on the account, old and new.
  • The account is private. On a private account the setting is off and cannot be turned on.
  • The creator is under 16. For ages 13 to 15 the setting is off and cannot be changed, even on a public account.

The full list of causes, and what to try when the option is there but the save fails, is in the guide to a TikTok save button missing from the Share menu.

Does the Creator Know You Saved Their TikTok?

No. TikTok does not show creators a list of the people who downloaded a video. A download made through a website is not tied to any TikTok account, so there is nothing to show.

Adding a video to Favorites is different from downloading it. The article on who saved your TikTok explains what a creator can and cannot see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the steps the same on iPhone and Android?

Yes for the Save video option in the TikTok app. For a browser download, an iPhone needs one more step: open the file in the Files app, tap Share, then tap Save Video.

Where is the saved TikTok on my phone?

A video saved with the Save video option is in your camera roll. A video downloaded in a browser is in the Downloads folder: inside the Files app on an iPhone, and in the Downloads album or folder on Android.

Can I save only the sound of a TikTok?

Yes. The TikTok MP3 downloader saves the sound of a video as an audio file.

Can I save a TikTok from a private account?

No. A private account has downloads turned off, and a link-based downloader reads only public videos.

Can I repost a TikTok I saved?

Only with the creator's permission. The creator keeps the copyright, and saving a video for your own offline viewing does not give you the right to publish it.