Facebook video downloader: public posts, Reels and private groups

Because Facebook uses segmented delivery and the addresses carry parameters that keep changing, so grabbing one URL will not get you the whole video. A tool has to understand the manifest structure to work at all.

The steadiest in testing: Video Downloader Plus, 4K Video Downloader Plus, yt-dlp.

If you are a member of the group and the video plays normally for you, a browser extension will usually manage it; yt-dlp works too if you pass it cookies.

Mind the line, though: private group content carries a stronger expectation of privacy, and being able to download it is not the same as being free to spread it. Passing it on can be a copyright problem and a privacy problem at the same time.

Technically they are delivered much the same way, but the Reels page structure is different, which is why some tools handle normal videos and then trip over Reels.

4K Video Downloader Plus and Video Downloader Plus both handle them.

Public videos usually work (SaveFrom.net, Cobalt.tools), but the success rate is below an extension's, and private content is out of reach entirely.

If you download from Facebook often, an extension or a desktop client is less hassle.

Downloading a public video for your own use is usually tolerated; re-uploading, redistributing or commercial use is infringement. Facebook's Terms of Service also prohibit unauthorised downloading.

Private group content adds a privacy dimension, so the line sits tighter than it does for public posts. See Terms of use.