How to Save TikTok Videos on iPhone and Android (Step by Step)
Updated August 13, 2026
Most people save TikTok videos on their phone, not a computer — which is exactly where the process gets fiddly, because iOS and Android handle downloaded media differently. This is the phone-first walkthrough: the same short link-and-paste flow, with the device-specific save step spelled out so the file actually ends up where you can find it.
Get the link first (both phones)
Open the TikTok video, tap the Share arrow on the right edge, and choose Copy link. That link is all the downloader needs. If you copied a short vm.tiktok.com link, that is fine — paste it exactly as it is.
On iPhone and iPad
- Open Safari and go to our TikTok downloader.
- Paste the link and press Download.
- Choose your version (with or without watermark).
- When iOS previews the video, tap the share icon and choose Save to Files, or long-press the video and tap Save to send it to Photos.
The step that catches people is that iOS often opens the MP4 in a preview tab instead of saving it automatically. That is normal — the share sheet is how you commit it to Photos or Files. Once it is in Photos it behaves like any clip you can trim, share or set as a wallpaper.
On Android
- Open Chrome (or your browser) and go to the downloader.
- Paste the link and press Download.
- Choose your version and confirm the save.
- The MP4 lands in your Downloads folder and appears in the Gallery within a few seconds.
If your browser asks for permission to save files the first time, allow it once and every future download is a single tap. Some phones file the clip under a “Downloads” album in the Gallery rather than the main camera roll — check there if you don’t see it right away.
If the download doesn’t start
Two things fix almost every hiccup. First, make sure you copied the share link, not a screenshot or the video itself. Second, if the video is from a private account it can’t be saved — downloaders only work with public content. Re-copy the link straight from the Share menu and try once more.
Save responsibly
Keeping a clip for yourself or saving your own TikTok is fine. Re-uploading someone else’s video as your own or using it commercially without permission is not. When in doubt, credit the creator and ask. See our disclaimer for the details.
The short version
Copy the share link, paste it into the TikTok downloader, and use the share sheet (iPhone) or Downloads folder (Android) to save the file. For the full picture across every device, read our complete TikTok download guide.