TikTok video won't download: causes and fixes

When a TikTok video won’t download, the reason is almost always one of these four: the link isn’t a video, the video isn’t public, the download link has expired or the browser blocked the file. The site shows a different message for each case. Below, each message and what to do.

Check these first

1. Is it a video link? It needs /video/ or /photo/ and a number in it, or it should be the short link the app copies, with vm.tiktok.com or vt.tiktok.com. Links to a profile, a search, a LIVE or a sound page won’t work.
2. Is the video public? Open the link in a private (incognito) browser window. If TikTok asks you to log in to see it, or says it isn’t available, the site can’t open it either.
3. Are you in a real browser? The browser that opens inside other apps often blocks downloads. Use Safari, Chrome or another browser.
4. Are the links less than 15 minutes old? After that, you need to get new links.

What each message means

“That link doesn’t point to a video”

You copied the address of a profile (tiktok.com/@ and just the account name), a search, a hashtag or a LIVE. Open the video, tap Share (the arrow), then Copy link. The guide on how to copy a TikTok link shows the steps on a phone and on a computer.

“Music links aren’t supported, and neither are TikTok sound pages”

You pasted a sound page, the one that opens when you tap the song name under a video, or a link from a music service like Spotify or Deezer. To save the sound, paste the link to a video that uses it and tap Download audio. See how to save the music from a TikTok.

“This site works with TikTok links”

The link is from another network, and this site only works with TikTok. With a link from a network the site doesn’t know, the message is “That platform isn’t supported”. YouTube videos aren’t supported here either.

“We couldn’t find that video”

The video may have been deleted, be from a private account, be visible to friends only or be blocked in our region. Age-restricted videos aren’t supported either. Open the link in a private window: if it doesn’t open there, the site can’t open it either.

“We couldn’t open that post”

Usually it’s a private account or a deleted video. If the video opens on TikTok without logging in, the problem is temporary: wait a few minutes and try again.

“We couldn’t read that post right now” or “TikTok is unstable right now”

TikTok sometimes takes a while to respond, or changes something on its side. It’s not your link. Wait a few minutes and try again.

“Too many requests in a row”

There’s a limit on links per person every 10 minutes, so the site stays fast for everyone. Wait a few minutes. On a shared network, like at work or school, other people may be using the same limit.

“We couldn’t confirm you’re not a robot”

The site runs an automatic check before each search. Reload the page and try again. If it keeps happening, turn off your ad blocker or VPN for a moment, or try another browser.

“This post can’t be downloaded here”

The rights holder asked for it to be blocked, and the link was blocked on the site. There’s no way to download it here.

“We’re doing some maintenance”

The site is getting a quick fix. You don’t need to do anything: try again in a few minutes.

Messages from the Paste button

• “There’s no link copied.” Copy link didn’t go through, or you copied something else afterwards. Go back to TikTok and copy it again.
• “That’s still the same link.” Your phone still has the previous link copied. Copy the new video’s link.
• “Your browser didn’t let us see what you copied.” Press and hold the box, choose Paste, then tap Download.

The file won’t download or open

• I tapped Download video and nothing happened. You’re probably in an app’s built-in browser. Tap the three dots and choose to open in your browser, or copy the site address and paste it in Safari or Chrome.
• The links have expired. Download links last about 15 minutes. Tap Get new links.
• On iPhone, the video isn’t in Photos. Safari saves it to the Files app, in Downloads. The iPhone guide shows how to move it to Photos.
• The download stops halfway. It’s almost always the connection. Try on Wi-Fi and, if 15 minutes have passed, get new links.
• The video downloaded but won’t open. Check that the download finished. On a computer, if your player won’t open the MP4, VLC, which is free, will. See how to download TikTok videos on PC.
• There’s no Download audio. The video has no sound at all. It downloads normally, but there’s no sound to save.
• The photos’ .zip won’t open. On iPhone, tap the .zip in the Files app and it turns into a folder. On Android, use the extract option in your file manager. On Windows, right-click it and choose Extract All.

Still not working?

Write to us through the contact page with the video link and the message you saw. That way we can tell whether the problem is the video or the site.