How To Save A Facebook Live Video

Facebook Live allows users to broadcast live video streams to their followers in real-time. It has become an immensely popular way for individuals and organizations to share live events, engage with their audience, and create interactive video content on Facebook.

With Facebook Live, you can go live at any moment to share experiences as they happen. Viewers can comment, react, and interact with the broadcaster during the live stream.

Once your live video ends, it gets saved to your timeline automatically. However, there are also ways to download and save Facebook Live videos – whether they’re your broadcasts or videos from other accounts.

Saving Facebook Live videos allows you to replay and rewatch at any time. You can also edit and repurpose the videos. For businesses, it’s useful for compiling content and analytics. On a personal level, you may want to save special livestreams such as graduations or weddings.

This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on How To Save A Facebook Live Video on iPhone, Android smartphones, and Windows or Mac computers. We’ll cover the built-in options as well as third-party apps and tools available.

Table of Contents

How To Save Your Own Facebook Live Video

When you broadcast a live video on Facebook, the platform automatically saves the full video to your timeline when the broadcast ends. This makes it easy to find and replay your own live videos later.

Here’s how to save your own Facebook Live videos:

Auto-Save to Timeline: Facebook saves all completed live broadcasts to the “Videos” section on your profile page. You can scroll through your timeline to find your live videos mixed in with your regular video posts.
Adjust Privacy: By default, the privacy of your live videos matches the default privacy of your normal posts. To change it, go to the video on your timeline and use the audience selector menu to choose who can view it – Public, Friends, Only Me etc.
Download to Your Device: Click on the three-dot menu on your live video and select “Download Video”. This will download the MP4 file to your device so you can save it permanently. On iPhone, it downloads to your Camera Roll. On Android, it saves to your Downloads folder.

The auto-save feature means you don’t have to worry about missing out on your live videos. You can easily find them again, replay them, and adjust the privacy settings as needed. Downloading them to your device allows you to have the full video file permanently.

How To Save A Facebook Live Video – Other People

You can download and save Facebook Live videos from other accounts besides your own using a few different methods:

Screen Recording on Mobile

One option is to use your iPhone or Android’s built-in screen recording feature to capture the live video playback.

On iPhone, you can start a screen recording by swiping down from the top right to open Control Center and tapping the Screen Record icon. This will record everything on your screen. Simply play the Facebook Live video you want to save and stop the recording when finished. You’ll find the video in your Photos app.
On Android, open the Quick Settings panel and tap Screen Recorder. Select Start Recording and then open the Facebook Live video. Stop the recording when done and access it from your Gallery.

Screen Recording Tools on PC

On a desktop or laptop, you can use free screen recording software to record any Facebook Live video. Popular options include:

OBS Studio – Open source software for Windows, Mac and Linux. Allows recording screen and audio.
Windows Game Bar – Built into Windows 10, Win + G opens the overlay to start recording.
QuickTime Player – Comes pre-installed on Mac, File > New Screen Recording to capture any on-screen content.

Online Video Downloaders

There are many websites that allow downloading videos from Facebook, including live broadcasts. Simply paste the video URL and download. However, quality may be low and reliability varies across different sites.

Mobile Apps

Dedicated Facebook video downloader apps for iOS and Android can save live videos with audio in HD quality. They typically detect and download from the video URL. Some popular options are Video Downloader for Facebook, Video Downloader for FB.

How To Save A Facebook Live Video – Step by Step Guide for iPhone

Saving Your Own Facebook Live Video on iPhone

Open the Facebook app and tap on the “Live” icon at the bottom.
Go live by tapping on “Go Live”. Broadcast your video as usual.
After you end your live video, it will automatically be saved to your Timeline. To view it, go to your profile and tap on “Videos”.
Tap on your live video to open it. Tap on the 3 dots at the top right and choose “Save Video” to download it to your iPhone’s camera roll.
You can now view the saved live video in your Photos app and share or edit it.

Screen Recording Someone Else’s Live Video on iPhone

Open the Facebook app and go to the live video you want to record.
Swipe up from the bottom edge of your iPhone to open Control Center.
Tap on the Screen Recording icon which looks like a circle inside a circle.
Allow Facebook access to record your screen when prompted.
Tap on the red Record button at the top left. The video will start recording with a timer.
Watch the live video you want to capture. Make sure to record until it ends.
Tap on the Stop button to end the recording. The video will be saved to your camera roll.
You can trim the start and end of the video if needed before sharing or saving it.

Using a Facebook Live Video Downloader App on iPhone

Search for “Facebook video downloader” on the App Store and install a reputable app.
Open the app and give it access to your Facebook account when prompted.
Paste the URL of the live video you want to download into the app.
Tap on “Download”. The app will extract and download the live video file.
You can now access the downloaded videos within the app. Some apps give sharing options too.
Make sure to use the app only for videos you have permission to use, and not breach any copyrights.

How To Save A Facebook Live Video – Step-by-Step Guide for Android

Saving and downloading Facebook Live videos on Android phones is easy once you know the various methods. Here are the key steps:

Saving Your Own Facebook Live Video

After you finish your live broadcast, open the Facebook app and go to your profile page.
Tap on the “Videos” tab under your cover photo.
This will show all your live videos saved to your Timeline. Tap on the video you want to save.
Tap on the three dots at the top right and choose “Save Video”.
The video will now be saved to your device’s internal storage in the folder “Facebook”.

Screen Recording Someone Else’s Live Video

Open the Facebook app and go to the live video you want to download.
Start the screen recording function on your Android phone. On Samsung phones press the Power and Volume Down buttons together.
Let the video play and record it with your phone’s screen recorder.
After recording, stop the screen recording. The video will be saved in your phone’s gallery.

Downloading Live Videos Using a Facebook Video Downloader App

Install a Facebook video downloader app like Video Downloader for Facebook.
Open the app and give it access to your Facebook account when prompted.
Go to the live video on Facebook you want to download within the app.
Tap the download button above the video. The app will download the live video to your phone.

How To Save A Facebook Live Video – Step by Step Guide for PC

Saving your own Facebook Live video on PC is straightforward. Here are the steps:

Go to your Facebook profile and click on the “Videos” tab. This will show all your live videos that were automatically saved.
Find the video you want to save and click on the three dots beside it. Select “Download Video” from the dropdown menu.
This will download the MP4 video file to your computer. You can now replay or edit the video as needed.

To save someone else’s Facebook Live video on your PC, you’ll need to use screen recording software. Some popular free options include:

OBS Studio – Open source software for video recording and live streaming. Allows recording a specific window or entire screen.
Screencast-O-Matic – Simple tool to record on-screen activity. Has options to record computer sound and webcam.
Flashback Express – Lightweight recorder by Blueberry Software. Can capture streaming video.

Follow these steps to use screen recording to save a Facebook Live video on PC:

Install and open your preferred screen recording software.
Go to the Facebook Live video you want to download. Make sure it’s playing.
In your recorder, select the setting to record a specific window.
Choose the browser window with the live video playing. Start the recording.
Let the Facebook Live video fully play through while recording.
Stop the recording and save the output video file.

The video will be saved on your computer as a video file that you can replay anytime.

Alternatively, you can use online websites to download Facebook videos. They allow pasting the video URL to download the file. Some popular options are SaveFrom.net, ssyoutube.com, FBVid.com and FBDown.net.

Here are the steps to use these sites:

Go to the Facebook Live video page and copy the URL from the address bar.
Paste the URL into the downloader site and click “Download”.
Select MP4 as the download format and video quality.
Save the video file when prompted.

This will let you directly download the live video without any screen recording required. Do check the website’s terms of service before using this method.

Apps and Tools to Download Facebook Live Videos

There are various apps and tools that can help you easily save and download Facebook Live videos.

Best Mobile Apps to Download FB Live Videos

Video Keeper (iOS and Android) – This app makes it easy to save both your own and others’ Facebook Live videos directly on your phone.
Video Downloader for Facebook (Android) – A dedicated Android app to download videos from Facebook, including live broadcasts.
SaveFrom.Net (iOS and Android) – The mobile app version of the SaveFrom.net website. Allows FB video downloading.

Top Screen Recording Software for PC

Screencast-O-Matic – A free screen recorder for Windows and Mac that lets you capture any video playing on your screen.
OBS Studio – An open source screen recording program with advanced options for PCs and Mac. Can record Facebook Live videos.
Apowersoft Screen Recorder – A user-friendly screen capture tool for Windows that records in high definition. Easy to use for beginners.

Tips and Considerations

When downloading Facebook Live videos, there are some important things to keep in mind:

Video Quality and File Size

Facebook Live videos are available in different quality options – SD, HD, and HD+. The higher the quality, the larger the video file size will be.
When deciding which quality to download, consider if you want higher resolution or a smaller file that’s easier to share and store. HD or HD+ is recommended.
The original aspect ratio of live videos should be maintained when saving to avoid distortion or black bars.
Be aware of maximum file size limits if sharing or emailing the downloaded video file. Compressing the file can help reduce size.

Privacy and Legal Concerns

You should only download and save live videos that you have permission or rights to use.
Public videos may be downloaded for personal use but get consent before sharing or distributing someone else’s live video.
Commercial use of other people’s videos is usually not permitted without authorization. Avoid reuploading live videos from others.
Respect people’s privacy – do not save or share live videos that reveal sensitive, private details about someone.
Abide by Facebook’s terms of use and community standards when downloading live video content.
Removing watermarks and proper attribution are some of the factors to consider from a legal perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you save a Facebook Live video while it’s still ongoing?

No, you cannot save a Facebook Live video until the broadcast has ended. The video has to be fully processed first before it becomes available for download.

Does saving a live video on Facebook capture the comments and reactions too?

When you save your own live video, it will save everything – the video, comments, likes, reactions, etc. However, when downloading someone else’s video, you will only get the video file itself. User interactions are not captured.

Is it legal to download and use live video content from other FB accounts?

In most cases, it is not legal to download and reuse someone else’s live video without permission. Facebook’s Terms of Service grants them broad rights to content posted publicly. You should always get consent from the original creator before reusing their content.

Do you need permission from the original poster to save their FB live video?

Yes, you should get explicit permission from the video creator before downloading their live video. The ethical thing is to ask first, rather than just taking their content. They hold the copyrights.

What are the video quality options when saving a Facebook Live broadcast?

Facebook processes the live videos in SD (standard definition) and HD (high definition) formats. So when you download it later, you have the choice of SD or HD quality. File size will be larger for HD videos.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a few key methods for saving Facebook Live videos to view later or reuse the content.

For your own live streams, Facebook automatically saves the video to your Timeline when the broadcast ends. You can then download it to your device.

To save someone else’s live video, you’ll need to use screen recording on mobile or a desktop recording tool. There are also apps and websites that can download the videos for you.

On iPhone, use the built-in screen recorder or try an app like Video Downloader for Facebook. For Android, enable native screen recording or try Videoder. On desktop, tools like OBS Studio, Screencast-O-Matic, or Apowersoft work well.

When downloading others’ videos, be mindful of copyright and ownership. Avoid reuploading or distributing the full video without permission. You may share short clips or screenshots under fair use provisions.

To get the best quality, save videos while they are live or soon after. Check the resolution options in your recording tools. Videos saved later from Facebook may be lower resolution.

With the right tools and apps, saving Facebook Live videos is straightforward. Follow the step-by-step instructions for your device. Now you can easily preserve livestreams to enjoy again and again.

Brendan Hesse

I’m a writer, artist, and designer working in the gaming and tech industries. I have held staff and freelance positions at large publications including Digital Trends, Lifehacker, Popular Science Magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, IGN, The Xplore Tech, and others, primarily covering gaming criticism, A/V and mobile tech reviews, and data security advocacy.

How To Save Your Own Facebook Live Video