How GrabVid works
Four steps, about fifteen seconds, no account and nothing to install. Here is the whole process, including what to do when it goes wrong.
Step 1: Finding the URL
Every video on every platform has its own address, and that address is all we need. In a mobile app, look for the share icon under or beside the video, then choose Copy link. On a desktop browser, open the video on its own page and copy what is in the address bar. The one mistake people make is copying a profile link instead of a post link. A working link points at a single video, which usually means it contains a long string of digits or a short random code somewhere in the middle.
Step 2: Pasting the URL
Paste the link into the box at the top of the home page or the relevant platform page. You do not need to clean it up first. Share sheets add tracking parameters like igshid, fbclid or si, and we ignore everything after the part that identifies the video. Short links such as youtu.be, fb.watch and vm.tiktok.com work too, because we follow the redirect for you. Then press Download and give it a second or two while we read what the platform has stored.
Step 3: Choosing quality
You will see every version the source actually serves, each with its format and rough file size. Higher numbers mean more pixels and bigger files, not automatically better viewing. For watching on a phone, 720p is usually indistinguishable from 1080p at half the size. For editing, projecting, or cropping in later, take the largest available. If two options share a resolution, the smaller one is a more efficient codec and the larger one is the more compatible H.264.
Step 4: Downloading the file
Click the download button and the file transfers straight from the platform to your device. On a desktop it lands in your usual downloads folder. On Android, look in Downloads, and most gallery apps will pick it up. On iPhone, Safari saves it into Files, from where you can move it to Photos in a couple of taps. Rename it while you remember what it is, because a filename made of random characters tells you nothing in six months.
Troubleshooting
Most failures come down to one of five things, and you can usually identify which in under a minute.
Nothing happens, or you get an error
Open the same link in a private or incognito browser window. If the platform shows you a login wall, the content is not public and no tool that respects account privacy will fetch it. If it plays fine, try again, since transient network errors do happen.
The download has no sound
On X, GIF style clips are stored as silent loops with no audio track at all. On YouTube, resolutions above 1080p keep audio in a separate stream, so a 4K file can arrive silent. Taking the 1080p option gives you a single file with sound included.
The quality is worse than expected
The ceiling is set at upload. If the creator posted 720p, that is all that exists. You may also be looking at a repost, since each re-upload is re-encoded and loses detail. Finding the original account usually gives you a noticeably better file.
The file will not play
WebM files with VP9 or AV1 inside can defeat older TVs and some editing software. Download the H.264 MP4 version instead, which plays on effectively everything. Our formats guide explains the difference properly.
The download stalls partway
Usually a connection problem rather than a broken file. Pick a smaller quality and try again. A 720p file that finishes beats a 1080p file that dies at eighty percent, and browser extensions that intercept downloads can also be the culprit.
Platform specific guides
Each platform has its own quirks, and each one gets its own page with the formats, limits and questions that apply to it: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook.
Before saving anything, it is worth reading the disclaimer on copyright and fair use. If you hit something these pages do not cover, tell us and we will add it.