Reddit Video Download Not Working: Causes and Fixes
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Most failed Reddit downloads come down to a handful of causes — a broken link, a private community, a video still processing. Here is how to tell which one you have.
When a Reddit video won't download, the reason is almost always one of a short list. Most of them you can tell apart from the message you get; a few you can fix in a minute.
1. The link isn't a link to the post
Copying from the middle of a feed or from the address bar of an embedded player can give you something that isn't the post: a link to the subreddit, a search page, or a broken fragment.
Fix: open the post itself and use Share → Copy Link. FromRed.net accepts every form Reddit hands out — reddit.com/r/…/comments/…, redd.it/…, the /s/… share links from the app, v.redd.it/…, and links from old.reddit.com and the mobile site.
2. The video is still processing
Right after upload Reddit converts the video into its streaming formats. Until that is done, only Reddit's own player can show a placeholder, and there is nothing to download yet.
Fix: wait a few minutes and try again.
3. The post was deleted or removed
If the author deleted the post or the moderators removed it, Reddit stops serving its media too.
Fix: none, unfortunately — what isn't on Reddit any more can't be downloaded from it.
4. The community is private, banned or quarantined
Private communities show their posts to approved members only. Banned communities are gone. Quarantined ones hide their content from anyone who isn't signed in and hasn't opted in.
Fix: only public posts can be saved. FromRed.net doesn't sign in to Reddit on your behalf, and never asks for your password.
5. The video isn't on Reddit
Many posts are links: a YouTube video, an Imgur clip, a Streamable upload. Reddit shows them in the feed, but the video lives on the other site.
Fix: for many Imgur and Gfycat links Reddit keeps a copy of the video on its own servers, and FromRed.net offers that copy with the usual buttons. When there is no copy — YouTube, for one — it tells you where the video is hosted and still offers the post's preview picture and text. For the video itself, go to the site it is on.
6. The post is marked NSFW, or the video is too long
Posts marked 18+ (NSFW) are not supported, and the site says so instead of downloading them. Videos over the site's length limit are refused the same way, with a message that says the video is too long.
7. It downloaded, but there's no sound
The most common complaint of all, and not really a failure: Reddit stores picture and sound in separate files, and many tools only fetch the picture. FromRed.net joins them. If the video still has no sound, the original didn't have any. The full story is in why Reddit videos have no sound.
8. The file is somewhere you can't find
The download worked, but the video isn't in your gallery.
- iPhone: Safari saves to the Files app, under Downloads. Open it there and tap Share → Save Video to put it in Photos. Step by step: downloading Reddit videos on iPhone.
- Android: look in the Downloads folder of your file manager, or in your browser's download list. Some gallery apps only show it after a moment.
- Computer: it is in your Downloads folder; most browsers show it in their download list too.
More detail is in downloading Reddit videos on Android and PC.
Still not working?
Reddit sometimes refuses requests for a minute or two when it is busy. If a link that should work gives an error, wait a little and paste it again. If it keeps failing on a public post, tell us — include the link, and we'll look into it.
More guides
- Why Reddit Videos Have No Sound When Downloaded (and How to Fix It) You saved a Reddit video and it plays without a sound. It is not your phone, and the sound is not gone: Reddit simply keeps it in a separate file.
- What Is v.redd.it and How to Download v.redd.it Videos v.redd.it links turn up in chats and comments, and opening one rarely gives you the video. Here is what they are and how to save the video behind them.
- Best RapidSave Alternatives for Downloading Reddit Videos RapidSave, formerly RedditSave, is one of the best-known Reddit video downloaders. If it isn’t working for you, here is what to look for in an alternative.