How to save your TikTok videos before the U.S. ban

TikTok’s future in the United States now lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, and the odds don’t look good for the app.

The ban is officially slated for January 19, 2025,  when the app could vanish from app stores, leaving new users unable to download it. What happens beyond that remains uncertain, but the possibility of a TikTok-free future feels increasingly real. With the clock ticking, many users are now scrambling to save their content before it’s potentially too late.

Unfortunately, TikTok doesn’t offer a way to download all your videos in one go, making the process especially tedious for users with hundreds or even thousands of posts. The platform does, however, allow users to save their videos one at a time. If using TikTok on a desktop, videos created by a logged-in account or with privacy settings permitting downloads can be saved as .mp4 files by right-clicking on the video and selecting “Download Video.” If this option isn’t available, it’s likely the creator has disabled third-party downloads.

Mobile users can also tap the Share button in the bottom-right corner of a video, then select Save Video. From there, they can choose to save the file locally, email it as an attachment, or upload it to cloud storage like Google Drive. While time-consuming, these methods ensure content is backed up ahead of a potential ban.

Third-party tools are also stepping up with solutions. Repurpose.io allows users to download their entire video library straight to Google Drive, no manual effort required, as well as repurpose selected content across multiple platforms. Another option, myfaveTT is a Chrome extension that exports all liked and favorited TikTok videos as .mp4 files. As an extra step, it also organizes them into folders that match how you saved them in the app.

Triller, once a TikTok rival, is also hoping to capitalize on the potential TikTok ban in the U.S. The company has now launched a website, SaveMyTikToks.com, which promises to back up all your TikTok videos by uploading them to Triller. The process involves linking your TikTok account, granting Triller access to your videos, and creating a Triller account. Once done, they’ll email you with further steps to transfer your content.

While it’s unclear exactly how a ban would play out for the TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users, it likely wouldn’t vanish overnight. Still, now’s the time to prep for life post-TikTok—just in case.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91259667/how-to-save-your-tiktok-videos-before-the-u-s-ban?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss