How Do You Download Videos From Threads Onto Your Phone

The quick answer: Threads does not have a native download button for video, on either iPhone or Android, so you need a workaround. The most reliable one is a third party downloader site where you paste the post link, but there are two built in options worth trying first that most people miss completely.

Why Threads makes this harder than Instagram

Threads is Meta's own app, built off the back of your Instagram account, and you would think a save button would have made it into the app by now given how long Threads has been live. It has not. Instagram lets you save reels to a private collection with one tap. Threads gives you nothing built in for video beyond sharing the post itself as a link. I suspect this is deliberate, Meta wants engagement to stay inside the app, not get pulled out and reposted elsewhere, but it is truly annoying if you just want to keep a funny clip or a client testimonial video for your own files.

Option one: the share to device trick (works sometimes, iPhone only)

Before you reach for a third party tool, try this first because it needs nothing extra installed:

1. Open the Threads post with the video.
2. Tap the paper plane share icon under the post.
3. Look for "Save" or "Copy Link" in the share sheet that pops up.
4. If you see a Save option, tap it. This saves a copy to your device in some regional app versions, though Meta rolls this feature in and out unpredictably.

Do not be surprised if this option is missing on your account. Meta has been testing it in patches through 2026 and it is not consistent across every region or every account yet.

Option two: screen recording (always works, zero apps needed)

This is the one method that never fails because it does not depend on Threads giving you permission at all.

1. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Centre and tap the screen record button, or add it first via Settings, then Control Centre, then add Screen Recording.
2. On Android, swipe down twice from the top of the screen and tap Screen Record in the quick settings panel.
3. Open the Threads video and play it full screen with sound on if you want audio.
4. Stop the recording once the clip finishes.
5. Trim the start and end in your Photos app or Google Photos afterwards.

The downside is quality. A screen recording is a recording of a recording, so you lose a bit of sharpness compared to the original file, and you will need to crop out the Threads interface if you want a clean video for reposting elsewhere.

Option three: a downloader website, for a clean original file

If you want the actual video file at full quality without the app chrome around it, you need the post's direct link and a downloader site. Here is the process:

1. Open the Threads post, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and choose Copy Link.
2. Open a browser on your phone and go to a Threads video downloader site, there are several free ones, search "threads video downloader" and you will find options.
3. Paste the link into the box and tap the download or fetch button.
4. The site will show you the video with a download option, usually in MP4 format at the original resolution.
5. Tap download, and on iPhone it saves to Files or Photos, on Android it drops into your Downloads folder.

Be careful which site you use. Stick to ones without a flood of pop up ads or app install prompts, and never enter your Threads or Instagram login on a third party downloader, the legitimate ones never ask for it. If a site asks you to log in with your Meta account to download a public video, close it, that is not how any of these tools should work.

The copyright reality nobody mentions

Here is the part most guides skip entirely. Downloading someone else's video off Threads does not give you the right to repost it as your own, no matter which method you used to get the file. If you are saving a clip for personal viewing, that is a grey area most creators do not chase. If you plan to repost it on your own account or use it in a client campaign, you need to credit the original creator at minimum, and ideally message them for permission, particularly if it is going anywhere commercial. I have seen small brands get a takedown notice, and worse, a public callout post, for reposting someone's Threads video without a credit. It is not worth the risk for a single piece of content.

What I do with my own team

Running social media for clients means we save a lot of Threads content for research, competitor tracking, and swipe files. Our rule is simple: screen record for internal reference and strategy decks, and only use the downloader route with a clean file when we have direct permission from the poster to repost, with credit given in the caption every time. It keeps things clean and it means nobody on the team has to remember which method they used for which video six months later.

A quick note on saving your own videos

If the video is one you posted yourself, this whole problem disappears. You already have the original file on your camera roll from before you posted it, in most cases. If you deleted it locally and only have it on Threads now, the screen recording method above works perfectly well since there is no copyright issue with your own content, or you can use the downloader route for a full quality copy back onto your device.

Desktop is often easier than mobile

If you are struggling on your phone, try the same downloader route from a laptop or desktop browser instead. Open Threads on the web, find the post, copy the link the same way, and paste it into a desktop downloader site. The bigger screen makes it easier to spot the correct download button among any ads on the page, and you can then send the finished file to your phone over AirDrop, WhatsApp to yourself, or a cloud drive like Google Drive or Dropbox. I do this myself whenever I am pulling several videos at once for a content round up, it is much faster than doing it one at a time on a small screen.

Saving audio only from a Threads video

Sometimes you do not want the video at all, just the sound, for example a trending audio clip you want to reuse on Instagram or TikTok. Most downloader sites that handle Threads video will also give you an MP3 extraction option alongside the MP4 download. Look for a small audio icon or a separate "extract audio" button near the main download link. If the site you are using does not offer it, you can also just screen record the video with sound and strip the audio afterwards using a free app like CapCut, which most creators already have installed for editing reels anyway.

I have written more around this on the site: How to Download Videos From Threads Onto Your Phone, Is the Threads App Safe to Use for Your Business? What I Tell Clients Before They Post, What Should You Know Before Using a Threads Video Downloader App.

Frequently asked questions

Does Threads notify someone when you save or download their video?

No. Neither screen recording nor using a third party downloader sends any notification to the original poster. They have no way of knowing their video was saved.

Can you download a video from a private Threads account?

Downloader sites only work on public posts because they need to access the video through a public link. If the account is private and you are not a follower, you cannot pull the file through a downloader, and screen recording only works if you can view the post in the app in the first place.

Why does the downloaded video sometimes have no sound?

This usually happens with screen recordings when your phone was on silent or the recording captured system audio incorrectly. Check that your ringer switch is off silent and that microphone or system audio permissions are enabled for screen recording in your phone settings before you record again.

Is there an official Threads app setting to allow downloads?

Not as a general toggle. The save to device option in the share sheet is the closest thing Meta has rolled out, and it depends on your app version and region rather than being a setting you can switch on yourself.