Last updated:
Steps
- Open the Files appGo to Browse, then Downloads.
- Open the videoTap the video you downloaded to play it.
- Tap the Share buttonThe square icon with an arrow pointing up.
- Choose Save VideoThe video is copied to the Photos app instantly.
Where does the video go after downloading?
Safari saves every download to the Downloads folder in the Files app (in iCloud Drive or On My iPhone, depending on your settings). That's why the video doesn't show up in Photos right away.
Move the video to Photos
Open the video in Files, tap the Share button and choose Save Video. You'll now find it in Photos with the rest of your videos, and you can delete the copy in Downloads if you like.
No Save Video option?
- Make sure the download has finished: an incomplete file won't open.
- If the file is audio (MP3), it won't go to Photos. It stays in Files, and you can play it from there.
- Open the file first, then tap Share — don't use the touch-and-hold menu.
💡 To speed things up: in Safari settings, you can change the download location to On My iPhone so files are saved on the device itself.
On iPad
Exactly the same: the file is in Files > Downloads, then tap the Share button and Save Video.
Tips for keeping Photos tidy
- Delete the file from Downloads once it's in Photos so it doesn't take up space twice.
- Create an album for downloaded videos in the Photos app so they're easy to find.
