To download a Facebook Live video, wait until the stream ends and the replay appears as a normal video post on the page or profile. Then tap the three dots on the post (or Share), choose Copy link, paste it into Fistty’s Facebook downloader, and tap Download. Fistty cannot capture a stream while it is still live, and the replay must be public.
Below you will find the step-by-step, how to find a replay that seems to have vanished, what to do about very long streams, and why some live videos never become downloadable.
Download it now with Fistty. Paste the link, tap Download. No app, no login, free.
How to download a Facebook Live replay on Fistty
- Wait for the stream to end. While a broadcast is live, Facebook sends the video in small pieces in real time, and there is no complete file to download. When the host taps Finish, Facebook processes the recording and posts it as a video. This usually takes a few minutes, but for streams longer than an hour it can take a while. The red LIVE badge disappears and the post shows a normal play button with the full length.
- Find the replay. Open the page or profile that streamed. The replay is in their feed, and most pages also show it under the Videos tab or a Live playlist. If it was shared into a group, open the group and scroll to the post. Our guide on private Facebook videos explains why a replay in a private group cannot be downloaded.
- Copy the link. Tap the three dots at the top right of the post and tap Copy link. You can also tap Share under the video and tap Copy link there. Make sure you are on the replay post itself, not the page’s home feed. The link will look like facebook.com/pagename/videos/ followed by a number, or facebook.com/watch/?v= with a number.
- Open Fistty’s Facebook downloader. In Chrome, Safari, Opera, or any browser, go to fistty.com/download-facebook-videos. No app, no login, and Fistty never asks for your Facebook password.
- Paste and tap Download. Tap inside the box, paste the link, and tap Download. Fistty reads the post and shows a preview with the video length and the quality options available.
- Choose HD or SD. For a long stream, SD is much smaller and still watchable on a phone. For a sermon, class, or event you want to keep, pick HD. Facebook stores most live replays at 720p, with 1080p available if the host streamed from a strong connection. See our HD Facebook download guide for details.
- Find the file. On Android it lands in the Downloads folder and appears in Gallery. On iPhone, Safari saves it in the Files app under Downloads; open it, tap the share icon, and tap Save Video to move it to Photos.
Why you cannot download a live stream while it is live
A live video is not a file yet. Facebook sends it as a continuous stream of short segments, and the recording is only stitched together when the broadcast ends. Any tool that claims to download a live stream in real time is actually recording your screen or capturing the stream piece by piece, which is slow, unreliable, and against Facebook’s terms. Fistty does not do this. It waits for the finished video that Facebook itself publishes.
If you need a copy while the stream is running (for example, to post a clip before the event ends), the only clean option is to screen record on your phone. On Android, swipe down the quick settings panel and tap Screen record. On iPhone, add Screen Recording to Control Center and tap the record button. The quality will be lower than the replay, so grab the proper file from Fistty once the stream finishes.
Finding a live replay that disappeared
Sometimes a stream ends and the video is nowhere to be found. There are a few common reasons.
- Facebook is still processing it. Long streams can take 30 minutes or more to appear. Check back later.
- The host chose not to keep the replay. When ending a live, Facebook asks whether to post the video or delete it. If the host picked delete, the video is gone and no tool can recover it.
- The host set the replay to expire. Facebook lets pages set a live video to disappear after 24 hours or a set number of days. If it expired, it is gone.
- The replay was moved to a different audience. A page may post the live publicly and then change it to a members-only group. Check whether the audience icon is a globe.
- You are looking in the wrong place. Open the page, tap the Videos tab, and sort by recent. Replays from a Facebook Live scheduled event appear on the event page too.
If the replay exists but the link gives you a “video unavailable” message, open the replay in the Facebook app, let it start playing, and copy the link again. Facebook sometimes serves a temporary link to a video that is still being processed.
Dealing with very long live videos
Live replays are often one, two, or even four hours long. That changes a few things.
File size. An hour of 720p video from Facebook is roughly 500 MB to 900 MB. At 1080p it can pass 1.5 GB. Before you tap Download, check your free storage. If your phone is tight on space, pick SD, or read our tips for downloading videos on a 2GB or 4GB phone.
Data. Downloading a two-hour stream on mobile data in Nigeria can eat a full daily bundle. Use Wi-Fi where you can, or download at night on a night data plan. SD cuts the size by more than half with little loss on a phone screen.
Download time. Keep the browser tab open until the download finishes. On Android the notification bar shows progress. On iPhone the blue arrow in Safari shows progress; if you leave Safari for a long time the download may pause, and you can resume it from the same arrow. If a download stalls near the end, our guide on downloads stuck at 99 percent walks through the fix.
Trimming. You rarely need the whole stream. Both Android Gallery and iPhone Photos have a trim tool. Open the video, tap Edit, drag the handles to the part you want, and save as a new clip. This is handy for pulling a single song out of a church live or one talk out of a long event.
Who can download a live video?
| Where the live was posted | Can you download the replay with Fistty? |
|---|---|
| Public page (church, brand, creator, news) | Yes, once the stream ends |
| Public profile with the post set to Public | Yes, once the stream ends |
| Public group | Yes, use the post link |
| Private group or friends-only post | No. Ask the host for the file. |
| Still live right now | No. Wait for the replay. |
| Replay deleted or expired by host | No. The file no longer exists. |
If the live was yours, you do not need a downloader at all. Open your replay, tap the three dots, and tap Download video. Facebook saves the full recording to your phone.
A quick word on reuse
Saving a live replay to watch offline or to keep a record of an event is normal personal use. Live videos often include music, speakers, and faces of people in the room. If you plan to repost a clip, credit the page and keep the context honest. Churches and event organisers usually welcome shares but not reuploads that remove their name. If you believe your content was downloaded and reposted without permission, see Fistty’s DMCA page for how to raise it.
Related guides
- How to Download Facebook Videos in 1080p and 4K
- How to Download Facebook Stories
- How to Download Private Facebook Videos (Group and Friends-Only)
- How to Download Church Sermons and Gospel Songs From YouTube as MP3
- How to Download Facebook Videos on Android
Ready to try it? Fistty works in any browser on any phone or PC.
Frequently asked questions
Can you download a Facebook Live video?
Yes, after the stream ends and the replay is posted publicly. Copy the replay link from the post's three dots or Share menu, paste it into Fistty's Facebook downloader, and tap Download.
Can I download a Facebook Live while it is still streaming?
No. A live stream is not a complete file until the broadcast ends. Wait for the replay, or screen record your phone if you need a clip right away.
Why can't I find the Facebook Live replay?
Facebook may still be processing it, or the host chose to delete it or set it to expire. Check the page's Videos tab after a while.
How long does Facebook keep a live video?
By default the replay stays up like any other video. Hosts can choose to delete it when the stream ends or set it to expire after a set number of days.
How do I download my own Facebook Live video?
Open your replay in the Facebook app, tap the three dots, and tap Download video. No outside tool is needed.
How big is a downloaded Facebook Live video?
Roughly 500 MB to 900 MB per hour at 720p, and over 1.5 GB per hour at 1080p. Choose SD to keep the file smaller.