Those looking to save memories of TikTok are in luck ahead of its looming closure in the United States on Sunday.
Barring a last-minute turnaround, the popular social media app will be unavailable in all 50 states after the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision Friday to uphold a law banning TikTok by Jan. 19, unless it’s sold by Chinese parent company ByteDance.
TikTok users can download their videos, their data — including follower lists and direct messages — and other creators’ videos.
How to download TikTok videos
To download individual videos, users can go to their profile page, choose a video and then click on the three lines on the right of the screen. From there, you can click “Save video” or email it to yourself where you can download the clip before Sunday.
Downloading from TikTok’s webpage on a laptop or computer is possible also. You can right-click on a video and choose the “Download video” option. This option will likely mean there is a TikTok watermark on the video.
To get all of your videos at once is a little more challenging. There are third-party sites available, but their level of security varies.
Use Chrome extensions to download TikTok videos
Chrome extensions are another option available. Searching “TikTok Downloader,” a common phrase associated with performing this activity, will help you find a suitable apparatus. To finish downloading, you’ll have to click “Download all.”
As for data, the easiest way to do this is to tap the three lines on the top right of your profile page before choosing “Settings and privacy” and then “Account.” You can then click “Download your data.”
You can follow the same steps on your laptop or desktop. There are options to download all of your data or a refined amount. File formats vary between text and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).
Should creators permit their videos to be downloaded, you may be able to save those if TikTok is shuttered by Sunday.
