How to bulk download and save your TikTok videos

First, TikTok was banned. Then, on Saturday night, January 18th, it disappeared. Then, the following day, it reappeared. It might be again for good, however any time issues get this unsure, it’s all the time a good suggestion to be sure to have backups of all of your content material — simply in case.

Whereas the app presents directions on how you can obtain single movies, TikTok apparently doesn’t like the concept of permitting its creators to bulk obtain their movies. You can additionally obtain — in TXT or JSON format — a certain quantity of your knowledge, which, in response to the assist web page, “could embrace however just isn’t restricted to your username, watch video historical past, remark historical past, and privateness settings.” Once I tried it, it didn’t embrace my movies. 

You too can share particular person movies — the identical method you may any file — however for those who’ve bought a library of a few hundred or extra TikTok movies, that’s going to be fairly a job. In that case, it’s so much higher to have a bulk obtain technique.

To learn the way to try this, I went into TikTok and waded by way of a gaggle of movies providing completely different strategies for downloading your content material. I attempted a number of of the strategies and located three that labored comparatively painlessly. (All, by the way, should be accomplished on a pc fairly than a cellphone.) 

A caveat earlier than I start: not being an precise TikTok creator, I solely had two printed TikTok movies on my account, which I had made as an experiment a while in the past. Consequently, it didn’t take a lot time for me to obtain them utilizing any of the strategies. In the event you’re a real TikTok creator, count on downloads and conversions to take a while.

A number of individuals really helpful an app referred to as Repurpose.io. This isn’t a free app — it prices $35 a month or $349 a yr. For a short while, Repurpose.io was providing free downloads from TikTok to Google Drive and Dropbox however needed to withdraw the supply “on account of excessive demand.” Nonetheless, you continue to get to obtain 10 movies at no cost over 14 days, so you may strive it out first. 

Repurpose.io enables you to distribute your content material on completely different platforms: you merely inform it the place to add the movies (in addition to TikTok, it’s going to pull knowledge from Instagram, YouTube, Zoom, and plenty of different companies) and the place you need it to ship them (in addition to Instagram and different companies, it can save you them to Dropbox, SoundCloud, Google Drive, and different apps). You may schedule common transfers, repurpose solely future content material or all current content material, and even create clips (if, for instance, you might be sending YouTube movies to TikTok).

Once I tried it, Repurpose.io simply picked up my two TikTok movies and transferred them to my Google Drive in a few minutes. Whereas it ought to take a lot longer in case you have, say, a number of hundred movies, the interface retains you updated on which movies have been transferred and what number of are left.

The paid app permits you to switch a vast variety of printed movies to as much as 5 completely different accounts. It might make loads of sense if you’re a devoted TikTok video creator and are pondering of shifting your movies to a different service.

In the event you don’t thoughts enjoying just a little with code, there’s a free option to do it as properly. A guide named Joanne Moxam has printed a helpful step-by-step YouTube video on how you can use Chrome’s browser console to save lots of all of your hyperlinks in a single fell swoop, transfer the information to a spreadsheet, after which use an internet device to bulk obtain your movies.

Under, I’ve summarized the steps that Moxam suggests (which I efficiently tried). She strongly recommends that you just do that through the use of the Chrome browser.

• Go to your Profile web page (by clicking in your private icon within the top-right nook).
• Convey up the browser console by hitting the F12 key. (In the event you’re on a Mac, it’s possible you’ll want to make use of Fn-F12.) You’ll see a window open on the precise stuffed with code; for those who’re not used to that, don’t let it hassle you — you gained’t should deal an excessive amount of with it. Simply be sure that the menu on the very prime (which can say Components / Console / Sources) has Console underlined.
• On the backside of the console, the place there’s a single >, paste within the following:

let goToBottom = setInterval(() => window.scrollBy(0, 400), 1000);

In accordance with Moxam, this scrolls all of your movies right down to the underside, making them a part of a single window to allow them to be chosen.

Be aware: you may even see a warning to not paste code into the console that you just don’t perceive; you’ll be requested to sort “permit pasting” and hit Enter first. Go forward; I used each of those codes with out a difficulty.

• Now enter the second code, which can robotically choose and obtain a CSV file of your hyperlinks to all of the movies in your profile to your laptop. It’s a bit lengthy: right here’s a hyperlink to Moxam’s code.
• The ensuing file can be referred to as my_data.csv. 
• Import the CSV file to a spreadsheet.

Now you should use the hyperlinks to do a bulk obtain of your movies. Moxam recommends a free on-line service referred to as TOKdownload, which is what I used. 

• Copy the hyperlinks from the spreadsheet and paste them into the designated subject. (Be aware: since I used to be solely downloading a few movies, I had no issues; as Moxam suggests, for those who’re coping with giant numbers, it’s possible you’ll need to obtain in batches of fifty or so with the intention to not overwhelm the app.)
• Click on the Obtain button.

• The app will obtain and course of the hyperlinks each because the movies and covers. It might take some time.
• As soon as it’s accomplished, you’ll get buttons to Obtain All Movies and Obtain All Covers. Click on on the previous, and you’re going to get a zipper file containing MP4 recordsdata of your movies.

In the event you’re nonetheless not sure of your self, you may undergo Moxam’s video — she’s gradual and cautious in her directions. And ensure to additionally test her related webpage for any updates.

There are additionally plenty of browser extensions that may show you how to obtain your content material. This explicit methodology is courtesy of TikToker bari.cait — it includes utilizing a free Chrome app in a considerably roundabout however efficient method. Yow will discover the instructions in bari.cait’s TikTok video; I attempted it and it labored properly on my two posts.

• First, for those who’re planning to obtain your individual movies, you’re going to wish a “burner” TikTok account — in different phrases, an account that’s not your unique one. Why? As a result of the app that you just’ll use solely enables you to obtain movies you favourite or movies from individuals you comply with (and you’ll’t precisely comply with your self). If in case you have any bother making a second account, maybe see for those who can borrow a buddy’s — or have a buddy obtain your movies for you.
• Open your new TikTok account on the net and comply with your individual common account (the one with all of your movies in it).
• Obtain the Chrome app myfaveTT from the Chrome Net Retailer and set up it. You’ll have to provide it entry to your recordsdata.
• Return to your TikTok web page and click on on the myfaveTT icon, which ought to now be in your extensions checklist. In the event you don’t see it, click on on the extension icon within the higher proper of your Chrome browser — it seems like a file folder — which gives a drop-down checklist of your extensions. Ensure myfaveTT is activated.
• Reload your TikTok web page. It’s best to now have the myfaveTT sidebar on the left aspect of your window.

• The app offers you the selection of downloading all of your likes, your Favorites, or the individuals you comply with. Choose the final. You’ll get an inventory of all of the those who your new account is following; ensure that yours is the one one chosen.
• You’ll then be requested to pick a folder to save lots of the movies to (if that is the primary time you’re utilizing the app, it’s going to ask you to create a brand new empty folder). Then go forward and hit Subsequent.
• The app will obtain the movies related to that account. How lengthy it’s going to take will rely upon what number of movies there are to obtain. When it’s accomplished, the app will let . The MP4 movies can be in your new folder underneath knowledge > Following > [number] > movies.

There are literally plenty of browser and cellular apps accessible that can allow you to obtain and save your TikTok movies. In the event you don’t have entry to a pc and should use your cellphone, it’s possible you’ll discover the cellular apps helpful, however I attempted a pair and located them awkward to make use of, often restricted to at least one video at a time, and (except you have been keen to pay) ad-heavy.

Nonetheless you do it — and even when there ought to be some form of last-minute reprieve for TikTok — it’s all the time a good suggestion to again up your on-line movies, particularly if they’re both personally important to you or signify inventive work that you’ll want to maintain on to and look again on within the years to return.

Replace, January nineteenth, 2025: This text was initially printed on January fifteenth and has been up to date since so as to add the tactic utilizing myfaveTT and to notice that TikTok was quickly down and has been restored for now.