How to Download a Video From a Twitter DM (What Works)

You cannot download a video from a Twitter DM with a web downloader, because DM videos are private and only visible to people in the conversation. If the video is a shared public post, open the post and download it from its link. Otherwise, ask the sender for the original file, screen record it, or request your X data archive, which includes media from your messages.

That is not the answer most sites give, but it is the accurate one. This guide explains why, and walks through each workaround that actually works on X, which now calls DMs Chat on some versions of the app.

Why web downloaders cannot reach DM videos

A downloader like our Twitter video downloader works by reading a public post, the same way a logged-out browser would. Public posts have a link anyone can open. A video sent in a direct message has no public link. It is served only to the logged-in accounts in that conversation, and newer encrypted chats are designed so that even X's servers cannot read the contents.

So there is nothing for a public tool to fetch. Any service that says it can download your DM videos has to act as you, either by asking for your X password or by running as a browser extension inside your logged-in session. That is a real risk to your account and your messages, and we would not recommend it for a single video.

Workaround 1: The video is a shared post

This is the most common case and the easiest fix. When someone shares a post into a DM, the chat shows a preview of the original post with its author's name. The video belongs to that public post, not to your conversation.

1. Tap the shared post in the chat to open it.
2. Tap the share icon under the post and choose Copy link.
3. Paste the link into the Twitter video downloader and pick a quality.
4. Save the MP4. If you only want the sound, use Twitter video to MP3 instead.

If the post opens but the download fails, the original is probably from a protected account, has been deleted, or is restricted. Our guide to why you can't download Twitter videos covers every cause.

Workaround 2: Ask the sender for the file

If someone uploaded the video straight into the chat, they have the original. It sounds too simple, but it gives you the best result: full quality, no compression from X, no screen recording artefacts. They can send it by AirDrop, email, a messaging app that lets you save files, or a shared cloud folder.

Workaround 3: Screen record the video

Screen recording captures whatever plays on your screen, with sound, and needs no special tools. The quality is limited to your screen resolution, and you will want to trim the edges afterwards, but it works for any video you can play.

• iPhone: add Screen Recording in Settings, Control Center. Open the chat, start recording from Control Center, play the video full screen, then stop from the red indicator. The clip goes to Photos.
• Android: open Quick Settings, tap Screen record and choose to record media sounds. Play the video, then stop from the notification.
• Windows: open the Snipping Tool, switch to video mode and select the player area. Play the video in the browser and stop when done.
• Mac: press Shift, Command and 5, choose to record a selected portion, and play the video. Note that macOS does not record system audio by default, so the clip may be silent without extra software.

Workaround 4: Download your X data archive

X lets you download a copy of your account data, and the archive includes a folder of media from your direct messages. It takes a while and gives you everything at once, so it suits the case where you want to keep several videos from old conversations.

1. Open Settings and privacy, then Your account.
2. Choose Download an archive of your data and confirm your password.
3. Wait for X to prepare it. This usually takes a day or more, and X notifies you when it is ready.
4. Download the zip file and open it on a computer. DM media is in a folder named for direct messages.

Messages from encrypted chats may not be included, since X cannot read them to add to the archive. Older, non-encrypted DMs are the ones this works best for.

What about the X app's own save option?

X has tested a save option for DM media in its mobile apps. At the time of writing it is not reliably available to everyone. Press and hold the video in the chat, or open it full screen and look for a save or download icon. If you see one, it is the best option, since it saves the file directly. If you do not, use one of the workarounds above.

Things to avoid

• Websites that ask you to sign in with X to download DMs. Your password gives full access to your account and every conversation in it.
• Browser extensions with permission to read all your data on x.com. Some are fine, many are abandoned or sold on, and an extension update can quietly change what it does.
• Forwarding a private video to a public post so you can download it. It exposes something the sender shared privately, and it cannot be taken back.

A note on privacy

Someone sent you that video in a private message. Saving it for yourself is usually fine, and it is exactly what the save button in any messaging app is for. Sharing it further is a different matter. If the video shows the sender or other people, ask before passing it on.

For everything that is public on X, including videos, GIFs and audio, our complete guide to downloading X videos covers every method and quality setting.