X Premium Video Downloads: Who Can Download What
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X's Download video option lets Premium subscribers save videos from certain posts for offline viewing. It is the only download feature built into X, and four conditions decide whether it appears.
This article sets out those conditions as X's Help Center states them, explains how authors switch downloads off, and covers what people without a subscription can do.
What X's Download Video Option Is
The option sits in the menu of a video. X's Help Center gives the steps: go to the video, tap the three dot icon in the top right corner, then tap Download video.
X introduced it for subscribers in July 2023, when the service was still named Twitter Blue. News reports from that week, such as Gigazine's, describe a launch on iOS first.
The Four Conditions
| Condition | What X's Help Center says |
|---|---|
| You subscribe to Premium | Premium subscribers can download videos from certain posts |
| The video is recent enough | Videos posted before July 25, 2023 are not downloadable |
| The author allows it | Authors can turn off Allow video to be downloaded for a post |
| The author is an adult | For accounts under 18 the setting is off and cannot be changed |
All four have to be true. If one fails, the Download video option is missing from the menu.
How Authors Turn Downloads Off
The switch is named Allow video to be downloaded. An author sets it while writing the post: after adding the video, they tap Edit, open Settings and turn the switch off.
X states that the choice cannot be changed after the post is published. An author who wants a different setting has to post the video again.
Videos in Direct Messages
A video sent in a Direct Message can be saved in the app as well. X's instructions are to long press the video and tap Download video.
This needs version 10.24 or later of the X app on Android or iOS. A video sent from an older version of the app cannot be downloaded.
Protected Accounts
Posts from a protected account are visible only to its followers. X's Help Center adds a warning for the owners of such accounts: followers may download their videos or share links to them again.
X also says that links to media are not protected. Anyone who has the direct link to the media file can view it.
Downloading Without Premium
Without a subscription, X offers no download button. A link-based tool is the usual alternative: you copy the link of a public post and the tool builds the file.
The tool on this site lets you download Twitter videos that way. It needs no X account, and it shows a button for each quality X stores, which X's own option does not.
The same rule of use applies to both routes. Saving a video for your own viewing is personal use. Publishing it again needs the creator's permission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Premium tier includes video downloads?
X's Help Center says Premium subscribers and does not name a tier. Check the feature list on X's subscription page before you pay for a tier.
Does Download video work on a computer?
X's instructions describe the app: they tell you to tap the three dot icon. The Help Center page does not describe a download on the website.
What quality does a downloaded video have?
X does not state the resolution of its own download. The article on X video resolution explains which versions X stores.
Why is the Download video option missing for me?
One of the four conditions is not met. For problems with a downloader website, see the list of Twitter video errors.