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How to download videos from X (Twitter), the ways X allows

Updated on 1 October 2026

The short answer. On X, downloading other people's videos is a Premium feature: tap the three dots on the post and choose Download video. It works only on videos posted since 25 July 2023 whose uploader left downloads on, and never on under-18 accounts' videos. Without Premium, bookmark the post; your own videos come back in your X archive.

What you want The official way Who can use it
A file of someone's video Three dots → Download video X Premium subscribers
A video someone sent you in a message Long-press it → Download video Anyone, if the sender allowed it
Keep a post to watch again Bookmark Everyone, free
Every video you ever posted Download your X archive Everyone, for their own account

How do I download a video from X?

X lets its Premium subscribers download videos from posts for offline viewing. The option appears in the post's menu only when three things hold: the video was uploaded on or after 25 July 2023, the uploader left Allow video to be downloaded switched on, and the uploader's account is not under 18. Older videos cannot be downloaded at all.

In the X app (Android or iPhone), with Premium:

  1. Open the post with the video.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post.
  3. Tap Download video. The video saves to your phone.

If Download video is missing, either your subscription does not include it, the video is older than 25 July 2023, or the uploader turned downloads off. That last setting is chosen when the post is written and cannot be changed afterwards, so no amount of waiting will add the option.

Can I download a video from an X Direct Message?

Usually, yes. Videos sent in Direct Messages from version 10.24 of the Android and iPhone apps onwards can be downloaded unless the sender switched Allow video to be downloaded off when sending. Long-press the video in the conversation and tap Download video. Videos sent from older app versions cannot be downloaded.

How do I save an X post without Premium?

Bookmarks are free, private and the poster is not told. A bookmarked post stays on X, so the video plays only online and disappears if the post is deleted, but it is the one way to keep any video post to hand without a subscription.

  1. Open the post and tap the Bookmark icon, or tap Share and then Add post to Bookmarks.
  2. Find it later under Bookmarks in the side menu.
  3. To remove one, tap the Bookmark icon again on the post.

Premium subscribers can also sort bookmarks into folders.

How do I download my own X videos?

Your X archive is a ZIP file of everything on your account: your posts, Direct Messages, followers and lists, and the media you attached, which includes your images, videos and GIFs. It is the official way to get your own uploaded videos back, and it is free on every account. Preparing it can take a few days.

On Android, iPhone or a computer:

  1. Open Settings and privacy (on a phone, tap your profile icon first).
  2. Tap Account, then under Data and permissions tap Your X data.
  3. Confirm your identity with the code X sends to your email address or phone number. Your email address must be confirmed first.
  4. Under Download your data, next to X, tap Request data.
  5. When X emails you or sends a notification that it is ready, tap Download archive in the same settings page, or open the emailed link while logged in to X on the same browser. You get a .zip file with HTML and JSON files and your media.

Is it allowed to use an X or Twitter video downloader site?

X's Terms of Service forbid accessing the service "by any means (automated or otherwise) other than through our currently available, published interfaces", and add that "crawling or scraping the Services in any form, for any purpose without our prior written consent is expressly prohibited". A downloader site works outside those interfaces.

It also bypasses the uploader's own choice. X gives every uploader a switch to forbid downloads, and a downloader ignores it. The usual practical risks apply as well: adware, fake Download buttons and sites asking you to sign in with your X account. The video belongs to whoever made it, so re-posting it can infringe their copyright. This summarises X's published terms and is not legal advice.

Already have the video? What to do next

A video you downloaded through X or found in your archive is an ordinary MP4. Video to MP3 takes its sound out in your browser, Trim Video cuts it, and MOV to MP4 turns an iPhone recording into an MP4 X will accept. Nothing is uploaded, and none of these tools can fetch anything from X.

Questions people ask

Can I download Twitter videos without Premium?

Not from other people's posts. X offers the Download video option on posts only to Premium subscribers. Without Premium you can bookmark the post to watch it again, download a video someone sent you in a Direct Message if they allowed it, and get your own videos back in your X archive.

Why can't I download an old Twitter video?

X made videos downloadable only from 25 July 2023, and its help page says videos posted before that date cannot be downloaded, even by Premium subscribers. The uploader's setting is fixed when they post, so an older video will never gain the option. Bookmarking keeps it to hand, and the uploader can still send it to you.

Can I stop people downloading my X videos?

Yes. While writing the post, after adding the video, tap Edit in the bottom right of the video, then Settings, and switch off Allow video to be downloaded. X's help page warns that this cannot be changed after posting; deleting the post is the only way to stop downloads later. Accounts under 18 have downloads off automatically.

Does someone know if I bookmark or download their video?

Bookmarks are private, and X's help page says they are viewable only to you within your account. X does not describe any notification for downloads either. A protected account's followers can still download or share links to its videos, so protecting your posts limits who sees them rather than who keeps them.

How long does the X archive take?

X's help page says it may take a few days to prepare. An email arrives when the archive is ready, with a download link that has to be opened while you are logged in to X on the same browser. Confirm your email address before you ask for it, or the request cannot go through.

Sources

X's own help pages and terms, checked 1 Oct 2026 (help.x.com refuses automated readers, so the most recent public copies, from September 2026, were read through the Internet Archive):

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