TikTok Won’t Let Me Save Videos — What’s Wrong?

Many social media platforms let you download content directly to your phone or device. The good news is that TikTok is one of them; TikTok users can save the videos they love (or want to show friends who aren’t on the app) with just a couple of clicks.

Very few things ever work as designed 100% of the time, though, and TikTok downloads occasionally aren’t available to users.

What could be the issue? Let’s find out.

Why Can’t I Save Videos on TikTok?

There are several reasons why you might not see the option to save a TikTok video, and several more why the download you’ve tried to initiate won’t complete. The problem may be on your end, on the app’s end — or because of a choice by the content creator.

1. Downloads are Disabled

Here’s the most common issue.

Every content creator has the ability to prevent other people from saving the TikTok posts they upload. A toggle switch in the “Privacy” section of TikTok accounts lets users disable downloading of their content. If that “Video downloads” toggle is set to off, the “Save video” icon won’t appear when you look for it.

It doesn’t matter whether the account is public or private, or if you’re one of the creator’s TikTok followers, either. Once downloads are disabled, you won’t be able to save any of the content posted from the account.

2. TikTok is Having Technical Issues

The platform does everything it can (and spends a lot of money doing it) to ensure that users have an ideal TikTok experience. As we said at the start, though, few things always work seamlessly, and the app is no exception. Just because you may have never had to deal with system glitches, that doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

If a tech problem has affected downloading, it shouldn’t last long. Ask a friend if they’re having the same issue, try the download on a computer instead of your phone, or just wait 5 or 10 minutes and try again. Service or function interruptions on TikTok don’t last long.

3. The Problem Is Yours, Not the App’s

Even though you’re able to get onto TikTok, there still could be issues with your connection, app, or device that are preventing you from saving videos. This checklist should let you troubleshoot and solve the problem.

• Some activities won’t work properly if you have a poor Internet connection. Try moving to a different spot in the room or building, rebooting your modem and/or router, or connecting via a different network.
• You may not have enough space on your phone for the video. Check your available storage and if necessary, delete some other videos or files you’ve previously saved, and then try the download again.
• The app itself may be to blame. Clear both your TikTok and phone caches, log off of the app and then log back in again, or turn the phone off and back on. If you still have no luck, you should download the latest operating system for your phone and install the newest version of the app from the App Store or Google Play Store (depending on your device).

If none of these suggestions work, you can always check out one of the many third-party download tools you can find with a quick Google search. Be sure to vet any app’s creator carefully before downloading it; even better, always use an online downloader. You can’t be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself from viruses and hackers.

In the worst-case scenario, just bookmark the video that you wanted to save. That way, you’ll always be able to find it under “Bookmarks” in your TikTok profile.

Good luck!