Meta just flipped the script on how we handle video. Honestly, if you haven’t checked your Facebook video library lately, you’re in for a shock. The days of "set it and forget it" for live streams are over.
Basically, Facebook updated its storage policy in early 2025, and by now, in 2026, the "30-day rule" is in full effect. If you go live today, that video has a thirty-day shelf life before it vanishes into the digital ether.
Poof. Gone.
Unless you know how to pull it down manually. It’s not just about "favoriting" it anymore—it’s about getting that file onto your own hard drive or cloud storage before the clock runs out.
The New Reality: Why You Must Save a Facebook Live Video Fast
The reason for this shift is pretty simple: storage is expensive, and most people only watch a live replay in the first week. Meta decided they weren't going to be a free infinite archive for every school board meeting, gaming session, or birthday party ever recorded.
If you are a creator, a business, or just someone who wants to keep a memory, you've gotta be proactive. You’ve basically got a 30-day window. After that, it’s deleted.
Facebook did introduce a way to "postpone" deletion for up to six months if you get a notification and click "Learn More," but why wait? It's better to just grab the file and own it.
Getting Your Own Videos Back
If it's your own broadcast, the process is actually the easiest. Meta added some bulk tools recently because of all the backlash, but the individual way still works best for one-offs.
🔗 Read more: Why Surface of Venus Images Still Look Like They’re From a Different Century
- Log in on a desktop. Seriously, don't try the heavy lifting on the mobile app if you can avoid it; the "Download" option is often hidden or buggy on the phone version.
- Navigate to your Video Library or the Live tab on your profile.
- Open the video in full-screen mode.
- Look for the three dots (
...) in the top right corner. - Click Download video.
If you're using a Page for business, you'll likely want to do this through Meta Business Suite. Under the "Content" tab, you can see all your past lives. There's a download button right there.
How Do I Save a Facebook Live Video From Someone Else?
This is where things get a bit "gray area" and technically tricky. Facebook doesn't want you downloading other people's stuff for copyright reasons.
But sometimes you need to. Maybe a family member passed away and you want to save their old streams. Maybe a local news clip is important for your records.
The URL Trick (The Old-School Way)
There is a legendary workaround that still works in 2026. It involves the "mbasic" version of Facebook. It looks like a website from 2004, but it’s powerful.
- Find the video and copy the URL.
- Paste it into your browser's address bar.
- Change the
wwwtombasic. (Example:https://mbasic.facebook.com/video...) - Hit enter. The page will look terrible. That's fine.
- Play the video. It will open in a new window.
- Right-click the video and select Save Video As.
This method is great because it doesn't require any sketchy third-party apps that might steal your login info. It’s just using Facebook’s own lightweight site against it.
Third-Party Downloader Sites
Sites like FDown.net or SaveFrom.net are still the go-to for most people. They’re fast.
You copy the link, you paste it, you hit download.
📖 Related: Why Paramount Plus Optimizing Video Playback Is Still Such a Headache (and How to Fix It)
Wait, a big warning here. These sites are often crawling with "Download" buttons that are actually ads for malware. If you use them, make sure you have a solid ad-blocker or at least a very skeptical eye. Never, ever download an .exe file from them. You only want the .mp4.
Saving to Mobile: Android vs iPhone
If you’re out and about and need to save a Facebook live video to your phone's gallery, it’s a bit of a headache.
On Android, you can use specialized apps from the Play Store like FastVid, but honestly, the mobile browser method is safer. Open Chrome, go to one of those downloader sites I mentioned, and paste the link. Most Android browsers will let you long-press the video and hit "Download."
iPhone users have it tougher. Safari doesn't always play nice with direct video downloads. Your best bet is to use the Firefox browser on iOS. It has a much more robust "Save Link As" feature that actually puts the file in your "Files" app instead of just opening it in a new tab.
Bulk Saving: The "Nuclear" Option
If you have ten years of live streams and you just realized they’re all about to be deleted, don't download them one by one. You'll lose your mind.
Use the Download Your Information tool.
👉 See also: G-Shock Solar Atomic: Why This Old School Tech is Still the King of Reliability
- Go to Settings & Privacy.
- Click Your Facebook Information.
- Select Download Your Information.
- Deselect everything except "Videos" or "Live Videos."
- Request the download.
Facebook will take a few hours (or days) to bundle everything into a massive .zip file. They’ll email you when it’s ready. It’s a bit of a mess to organize once you open it, but it’s the only way to ensure you don’t lose a decade of content in one go.
Creative Workarounds for 2026
If all else fails, or if the video is in a private group where downloaders can't "see" it, use a screen recorder.
Windows has the Snipping Tool (Windows + Alt + R) and Mac has QuickTime. On mobile, both iOS and Android have built-in screen recording in the control center. Just make sure your volume is up and you aren't getting notifications that will pop up mid-recording. It’s not "original quality," but it beats having nothing.
Actionable Steps to Protect Your Content
- Check your Deletion Date: Go to your notifications. Meta sends "Final Warnings" before they wipe your archive. If you see one, you have 90 days from that alert to act.
- Set a Monthly Audit: If you go live frequently, set a calendar reminder for the 1st of every month to download the previous month’s streams.
- Cross-Post to YouTube or Cloud: Don't let Facebook be the only home for your video. Use the "Transfer" tool in Meta settings to automatically send copies to Google Drive or Dropbox.
The bottom line is that the internet isn't a permanent archive anymore. It's more like a revolving door. If you don't grab your data and put it on a drive you actually own, you're essentially letting Mark Zuckerberg decide how long your memories last. Get a cheap external hard drive, name a folder "FB Archives," and start moving those files today.