Twitter video downloader extension for Chrome: save X videos in one click

If you save videos from X more than once in a while, a browser extension is the least painful way to do it. There is nothing to copy and nothing to paste: the extension adds a download button to the posts themselves. This guide explains how that works, how to install one in Chrome, which settings are worth a minute of your time, and how to tell a trustworthy downloader extension from a risky one.

Why an extension beats a download website

A download website needs the post's link, so every video costs you four steps: open the share menu, copy the link, switch tabs, paste. An extension is already on the page, so it knows which post you are looking at and can fetch the video the moment you click.

The one real advantage of websites is that they work on phones, where browsers do not run extensions. For that case, see downloading Twitter videos on iPhone and Android.

How to install Twitter Video Downloader in Chrome

1. Open the extension's page on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome.
2. Chrome shows what the extension can access. Confirm with Add extension.
3. Optional: click the puzzle-piece icon in the toolbar and pin Twitter Video Downloader, so its popup with your history and settings is one click away.
4. Reload any x.com tab that was already open. Extensions only attach to pages loaded after they are installed.

The extension needs Chrome 111 or newer. Most other browsers built on Chromium can install it from the Chrome Web Store as well: Brave does so directly, Microsoft Edge asks you to allow extensions from other stores, and Opera needs its "Install Chrome Extensions" add-on first. Firefox and Safari are not supported.

Downloading a video, GIF or photo

Once installed, open x.com and look at the row of buttons under any post that has media: reply, repost, like, views, bookmark, share. A download icon now sits among them.

• Videos are saved as MP4, in the highest-bitrate version X stores.
• Photos are saved at their original size, every image of a gallery in one go.
• Animated GIFs give you a choice: keep them as MP4 or convert them into a real .gif file, at one of three quality levels. See how to save GIFs from Twitter.
• Quoted posts are included: if a post quotes another post with a video, one click saves both files, each filed under its own author.

If a download fails, the button tells you why instead of just flashing an error: the post was deleted, X wants you to sign in, X is rate-limiting, or your connection dropped. The same button appears in the full-screen media viewer, and with the keyboard shortcut switched on you can press D instead of clicking.

It works whether or not you are signed in to X. Signed out, you can download anything X shows to visitors; a few kinds of media, such as posts marked as sensitive, need an account.

Settings worth changing

Open the extension's popup and choose Settings. Switches and choices save as soon as you change them; the download folder has its own Save button.

General

• Download folder. Create a sub-directory inside your browser's Downloads folder so X media does not mix with everything else.
• Group downloads by account. Puts each account's media in a folder of its own. Handy if you follow a few creators closely.
• Filename pattern. Drag tags such as account, post ID, post date and download date into the order you like, with a live preview. The pattern must include the post ID plus a serial number or a hash, so two files never overwrite each other.

Features

• Animated GIF format: ask every time, always MP4, or always .gif at a fixed quality.
• Keyboard shortcut: download the post under your cursor with D.
• Download video thumbnail: save the preview image alongside each video.
• Auto-reveal sensitive content: skip X's "this media may contain sensitive material" overlay.

History

Every download is recorded locally with its thumbnail, author and post text. You can search it, filter by media type, jump back to the original post, and export or import it as a file. Recording can be switched off.

Is a Twitter downloader extension safe?

An extension runs inside your browser, so it deserves more scrutiny than a website. Before installing any downloader, check four things:

1. Site access. Chrome lists it on the install dialog and on the extension's details page. A Twitter downloader needs x.com and X's media servers (twimg.com). Be wary of one that asks to "read and change all your data on all websites".
2. Source. Install from the Chrome Web Store, not from a file a website asks you to download.
3. Privacy policy. It should say plainly what is collected. Twitter Video Downloader asks for access to x.com, twimg.com and its own website only, collects no personal data or browsing history, and its anonymous usage statistics can be turned off in settings.
4. Recent updates. X changes its site often. An extension that has not been updated in a year is probably broken, or about to be.

Frequently asked questions

Is the extension free?

Yes. There is no paid tier, no download limit set by the extension and no account to create.

Where do downloaded files go?

To your browser's Downloads folder, or the sub-folder you set in the extension's settings. If Chrome is set to ask where to save each file, you will see a save dialog for every download; you can turn that off in Chrome's own download settings.

I installed it, but I do not see a download button.

Reload the x.com tab first. If the button still does not appear, work through our troubleshooting guide.

Does it work with twitter.com links?

Yes. Twitter.com addresses redirect to x.com, and the extension works on x.com whether you arrived there from an old link or a new one.