A TikTok download guide: how a TikTok video download works

Whether it’s your own TikTok videos or videos from others, the TikTok app has a built-in feature for TikTok video download. For your own videos, you just need to enable “Save to device” in the settings; for videos from others, it depends on whether they allow downloads. Besides, there are third-party apps that can be used to download TikTok videos without watermarks.

TikTok app:

1. Sign in to the TikTok app.
2. In the settings, enable “Save to device”. New own videos are then automatically saved on the device during uploads.
3. You can download your own posted videos via the three-point menu by activating “Save video”.
4. For third-party videos, use “Save video” if the account allows downloads.
5. Alternatively, use the “Share” button and send the video to yourself via email or as a Messenger message (file will be saved in library).
6. As a second alternative, use third-party apps for TikTok download like “Snaptik” or “Video Downloader for TikTok - No Watermark”.

PC:

1. Download an app like BlueStacks (for Android emulation on PCs).
2. Open the Google Play Store through BlueStacks and download TikTok.
3. Open TikTok on the PC and record videos via screen capture.
4. Alternatively, use the TikTok web version to download video by logging into the TikTok website.
5. In the web app, the same app features are available except for camera access.

It’s been impossible to overlook TikTok for a long time now, with around 689 million users (as of 2021). The social media and video sharing app’s colorful, quirky short videos inspire young people in particular, but also offer artists and influencers the opportunity to gain new fans. Since some videos are so stunning, funny or impressive that users want to download and save them, the question arises: is that even possible?

In fact, TikTok offers a video download feature. With this, new uploaded videos are automatically saved on the smartphone. Videos that have already been uploaded can be saved afterwards.

If you want to save videos from other users, it depends on whether they allow the download. If so, you will find the “Save video” function in the menu of the video in question. If the function is not activated, you can forward the video via “Share video” as a file via e-mail or to your messenger, e.g. WhatsApp. Alternatively, third-party apps are available for downloading online videos.

Step 4: Since probably many TikTokers have disabled the download function, you can circumnavigate this. On the video page, tap the “Share” button. You can share the video and send it to your own email address or social media account, for example. If you share it via WhatsApp, for example, you will find it in your WhatsApp media library on your smartphone. In this case, videos will be watermarked.

If they want to download TikTok videos, even then when account holders do not allow the download, third-party apps such as “Snaptik” or “Video Downloader for TikTok - No Watermark” are available. With these, you use an additional download button added by the TikTok video downloader app. Alternatively, you can also copy video links into the app and save the video as a file.

Screen capture of TikTok videos: Whether in the emulator app, or the web version, an easy way to save TikTok videos is to capture a screenshot in Windows 11 or take a screenshot in Windows 10. Just play the video you want after the screen capture has started. Of course, you can also use mac screen record.

When asked whether TikTok video downloads are legal from a copyright perspective, there is a clear answer: it depends. For example, until 2020, TikTok was still offering background music for which it had no user rights. In 2020, TikTok finally announced that it had signed multi-year copyright deals with international rights holders such as Universal Music Group, NMPA, and APRA AMCOS. Previously, then, TikTok users were operating in a gray area of copyright infringement, for which TikTok did not accept responsibility in its T&Cs. Due to the published deals, it can now at least be assumed that provided TikTok background music does not violate copyright.

What about downloads? In the US, according to Article 17 of the Copyright Act, it can be argued that downloading TikTok videos for private use may come under the Fair Use doctrine. However, it is a gray area as there is no clause for private copying within the Copyright Act. In 2021 efforts were made by the U.S. government to ban the download of the TikTok app, this would have made it illegal to download the app. However, this was blocked, and the app is readily available to download.

Click here for important legal disclaimers.