To save a WeChat video that someone sent you, or one you recorded yourself, open the chat, tap the video so it plays full screen, then touch and hold it (or tap the menu or download icon) and choose the save option, usually labeled Save Video. It goes to your phone’s Photos app or gallery. On a computer, open the chat in WeChat for Windows or Mac and right-click the video to save it.
This guide sticks to WeChat’s own tools: saving from chats, keeping videos in Favorites, and moving them between your phone and computer. It also explains why some videos, especially in Channels, may not offer a save option, and why it’s worth respecting that. It doesn’t cover third-party downloaders.
Quick Answer
- Open the WeChat chat that contains the video.
- Tap the video so it opens and plays full screen.
- Touch and hold the video, or tap the menu (three dots) or download icon.
- Tap Save Video (the label can vary slightly by app version).
- Find it in the Photos app (iPhone) or Gallery (Android).
In This Guide
- What you can save and what you need
- Save a chat video on iPhone
- Save a chat video on Android
- Save a video in WeChat for Windows or Mac
- Keep videos in Favorites
- Move videos between phone and computer
- Moments and Channels videos
- Which method should you use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Save and What You Need
This guide covers the WeChat app on iPhone and Android and WeChat for Windows and Mac, as of September 2026. It applies to:
- Videos you recorded in WeChat and sent in a chat.
- Videos a friend or group sent you in a chat.
- Videos you saved to Favorites, WeChat’s built-in bookmark list.
What you need:
- The latest WeChat app, updated from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enough free storage on your phone or computer. Videos can be large.
- Permission for WeChat to save to your photos (the app will ask the first time).
- For a computer: WeChat for Windows or Mac, downloaded from the official site, wechat.com.
One thing to know before you start: WeChat says it doesn’t store your chat history on its servers. Messages live on the device where you received them. According to WeChat’s help page on why chat history doesn’t appear on a new device, your options for keeping content across devices are chat history migration, Favorites, and backup through WeChat for Windows or Mac. So if a video matters to you, save it soon rather than counting on it staying in the chat forever.
Respect the sender. Saving a video someone sent you is normal, but sharing it outside WeChat is a different matter. Ask before posting anyone else’s video publicly.
How to Save a WeChat Chat Video on iPhone
- Open WeChat and go to the Chats tab.
- Open the conversation that contains the video.
- Tap the video. Let it load and start playing full screen. Expected result: The whole video downloads to your phone. If you try to save before it finishes loading, the save option may not work.
- Open the options. Touch and hold the video. Depending on your version, you may instead tap the three-dot menu or a download arrow on the playing video.
- Tap Save Video. The label may read Save Video or Save to Album, depending on the version. Expected result: A short confirmation appears.
- Allow access if asked. The first time, iOS asks whether WeChat can add to your Photos. Choose to allow it, or the save will fail.
- Check Photos. Open the Photos app. The video should be among your most recent items.
If you tapped “Don’t Allow” earlier, open the iPhone’s Settings app, scroll down to WeChat, tap Photos, and choose an option that lets WeChat add photos (option names vary by iOS version). Then try again.
To get iPhone videos onto a Windows PC afterward, see our guide to transferring videos from iPhone to PC.
How to Save a WeChat Chat Video on Android
- Open WeChat and go to Chats.
- Open the conversation with the video.
- Tap the video and let it play full screen so it fully downloads.
- Touch and hold the video, or tap the three-dot menu or download icon if you see one.
- Tap Save Video. If you’re asked to allow WeChat to access photos, videos, or storage, tap Allow. Expected result: A confirmation appears.
- Open your gallery. Look in Google Photos, your phone’s Gallery app, or a WeChat folder. The exact folder depends on your phone brand and Android version.
Some Android users report that the save option doesn’t appear for a particular video. If that happens, see Troubleshooting below. Common causes are a video that hasn’t finished loading, a message that’s too old to download, or a missing storage permission.
How to Save a WeChat Video in WeChat for Windows or Mac
WeChat for Windows or Mac mirrors your chats from your phone and makes it easy to save videos straight to a folder on your computer.
Set up WeChat on your computer
- Download WeChat for Windows or Mac from the official site, www.wechat.com, and install it.
- Open it. Expected result: A QR code appears.
- Scan with your phone. In the WeChat app on your phone, tap the + in the top right, then Scan, and scan the QR code.
- Confirm on your phone. Expected result: Your chats appear on the computer.
WeChat notes you can’t be logged in to Web WeChat and WeChat for Windows or Mac with the same account at the same time. To switch accounts, choose Switch Account on the login screen. These steps come from WeChat’s help article How to Use WeChat for Windows or Mac.
Save the video
- Open the chat on your computer.
- Click the video so it loads and plays.
- Right-click the video (on a Mac trackpad, click with two fingers) and choose Save As or a similar save option. Some versions show a download icon on the player instead.
- Pick a folder, such as Downloads or Videos, and click Save. Expected result: The video file appears in that folder.
Older chats may not show up on the computer if they were received before you logged in there, because history lives on your phone. In that case, save from the phone, or forward the video to yourself as described below.
Saved WeChat videos usually open in your computer’s default video player. If a video recorded on an iPhone won’t open, see how to open MOV files on Windows.
How to Keep WeChat Videos in Favorites
Favorites is WeChat’s built-in place to keep messages you want to find later. It’s handy for a video you don’t need in your camera roll but want to keep. According to WeChat’s help page on viewing or deleting Favorite messages, your Favorites are available across devices when you use WeChat 5.0 or later.
Add a video to Favorites
- In the chat, touch and hold the video (on a computer, right-click it).
- Tap Favorite in the menu. The label may be a star icon or read Add to Favorites, depending on your version.
Find and save it later
- Go to Me then Favorites.
- Tap the video to open it.
- Use the menu (three dots) to save it to your phone, or open the same Favorite in WeChat for Windows or Mac and save it there.
You can organize Favorites with tags: open the item, tap the … icon, and choose Edit Tags.
Warning before deleting: WeChat says deleted Favorites can’t be restored. On iPhone you delete one by sliding left on it and tapping Delete, so make sure the video is saved somewhere else first.
How to Move WeChat Videos Between Your Phone and Computer
WeChat has a special chat called File Transfer, which usually appears in your chat list once you’ve used WeChat for Windows or Mac. Files you send to it can be opened on both your phone and your computer while you’re logged in on both, which makes it a simple way to move your own videos. This chat isn’t described in WeChat’s English help center, so treat the labels below as a guide.
- Log in to WeChat for Windows or Mac.
- On your phone, touch and hold the video in its chat and tap Forward.
- Choose File Transfer as the recipient. If you don’t see it, search for “File Transfer” in the contact picker.
- On your computer, open the File Transfer chat, click the video, and save it with Save As.
Labels in this flow differ a little between versions, so if Forward or File Transfer looks different, look for the closest match. You can use the same chat in the other direction: drag a video from your computer into File Transfer, then save it on your phone.
Want better quality?
Videos sent as normal chat videos may be compressed. If you need the original quality, ask the sender to send it as a file instead (in a chat, tap + and look for the File option). You then save the file rather than a playable chat video.
Moments and Channels Videos
Moments
Moments is WeChat’s feed where friends share photos and videos. For your own Moments posts, the original is usually already on your phone. For a friend’s video, some versions let you touch and hold it or use a menu to save or favorite it. If there’s no save option, respect that, and ask your friend to send you the video directly if you’d like a copy.
Channels
Channels is WeChat’s short-video platform for creators and brands. WeChat says Channels is only available in selected countries or regions, so you may not see it at all. Many Channels videos don’t offer a save or download option. That’s usually the creator’s content, and the safest built-in choices are:
- Like or Favorite it so you can find it again in WeChat.
- Share or Forward it to a friend or chat inside WeChat.
- Contact the creator if you’d like permission to use the video elsewhere.
WeChat’s Terms of Service say people keep ownership of their content and give other users a licence to access and use it within WeChat. The terms also ask you to respect the rights of others and make you responsible for any outside software you use with WeChat. For those reasons, we don’t cover third-party download tools.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Goal | Best method | Where it ends up |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a video in your phone’s photos | Save Video from the chat | Photos (iPhone) or Gallery (Android) |
| Keep it inside WeChat without filling your camera roll | Favorites | Me then Favorites, on every device you use |
| Get it onto a computer | WeChat for Windows or Mac, or File Transfer | A folder you choose |
| Original quality | Ask the sender to send it as a file | Wherever you save the file |
| Someone else’s Channels video | Favorite or share inside WeChat | Stays in WeChat |
Troubleshooting
There’s no Save Video option
Play the video full screen first and wait for it to load completely, then try again. Update WeChat. If the option still isn’t there, the video may not be downloadable anymore, or it may be content that doesn’t allow saving. Ask the sender to resend it or send it as a file.
The video won’t load or says it’s unavailable
Older chat media may no longer be available to download if you didn’t open it in time or it was cleared from your device. Because WeChat doesn’t keep your chat history on its servers, the practical fix is to ask the sender to send it again.
The save fails on iPhone
Check that WeChat is allowed to add to Photos: open Settings, then WeChat, then Photos. Also check free storage in Settings then General then iPhone Storage.
I can’t find the saved video on Android
Open Google Photos or your Gallery app and sort by date. Check folders named WeChat or Download. Also make sure WeChat has permission to access photos and videos in your phone’s app settings.
WeChat on my Windows PC says the file was removed or cleared
Huawei’s support site describes this error with the Microsoft Store (UWP) version of WeChat on some PCs and recommends installing WeChat from the official website instead. Try the official desktop version.
Older chats don’t appear on my computer
Chat history is stored on your phone, so the computer may only show recent messages. Save from the phone, or forward the video to File Transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do saved WeChat videos go?
On iPhone, they go to the Photos app. On Android, they go to your gallery, often in a WeChat or Download folder depending on your phone. On a computer, they go to the folder you choose.
Does the sender know if I save their video?
WeChat doesn’t document any notification to the sender when you save a video. Even so, ask before sharing someone’s video outside the chat.
Can I download WeChat Channels videos?
Many Channels videos don’t offer a save option. Use Favorite or share within WeChat, or ask the creator for permission and a copy. Using outside downloaders can conflict with creators’ rights and WeChat’s terms.
How long can a WeChat video be?
Videos recorded with the chat camera are short: WeChat says you can release the record button anytime within 15 seconds. For Moments, videos under 15 seconds post directly from your album, and longer ones need trimming with Edit.
Will I lose videos if I switch phones?
You might. WeChat doesn’t store chat history on its servers. Save important videos to your photos or Favorites, or use WeChat’s chat history migration or backup through WeChat for Windows or Mac before you switch.
Why is my saved video blurry?
Chat videos can be compressed when sent. Ask the sender to send the original as a file.
Can I save a video I sent myself?
Yes. Your sent videos appear in the chat like any other, and the same save steps apply. If you recorded it with your phone’s camera, the original is likely already in your photos.
Summary
- Open the chat and play the video full screen so it fully loads.
- Touch and hold it, or use the menu, and choose Save Video.
- Allow photo access when asked, then find it in Photos or Gallery.
- Use Favorites or File Transfer to keep videos or move them to a computer.
- For Channels and other people’s posts, favorite or share inside WeChat and respect the creator’s rights.
Next step: save any important chat videos now, and add the ones you want to keep inside WeChat to Favorites before you change phones.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.