Download X videos on Mac with Safari

Mac + Safari at a glance

Device / OS

Mac (macOS)

Browser

Safari

File lands in

~/Downloads (the Downloads stack in the Dock)

Open your downloads

Option-Command-L, or the downloads button in the toolbar

Move to photos / gallery

Drag into Photos, or File › Import in Photos

Plays in

QuickTime Player, IINA, VLC, Photos

Download an X video with Safari on Mac

1. Copy the X link. On x.com click Share › Copy link, or Command-L then Command-C on the post page.
2. Paste and Extract. Command-V into the box on TwitterDownloaderX and press Return.
3. Allow downloads once. Safari asks “Do you want to allow downloads on twitterdownloaderx.com?”. Click Allow.
4. Click a quality. The downloads button in the toolbar animates while the MP4 arrives.
5. Open it. Option-Command-L shows the list; double-click the file or click the magnifier to reveal it in Finder.

Where the file ends up on Mac

Safari saves to the folder set in Safari › Settings › General › File download location, normally Downloads in your home folder. Choose Ask for each download if you want to sort clips immediately.

Your choice from the Allow prompt is stored per site under Safari › Settings › Websites › Downloads, where you can switch it back to Ask or Deny.

Safari on Mac: gotchas we ran into

• The video opens by itself. With Open “safe” files after downloading checked (Settings › General), Safari opens movies in QuickTime as soon as they finish. Uncheck it if that is annoying.
• Clicked Deny by mistake. If you denied downloads, nothing happens when you click a quality. Fix it in Settings › Websites › Downloads.
• Private windows. Downloads from a private window are still saved to disk; only the list is cleared when the window closes.
• iCloud Desktop & Documents. Downloads isn't synced by that option, but if you saved to Desktop or Documents, large replays will upload to iCloud.

After the download

QuickTime Player can trim (Command-T) and export at 1080p, 720p or 480p, which is often all you need before sharing.

To keep clips with your photos, drag the MP4 onto the Photos icon; it is copied into the library and synced to your iPhone if iCloud Photos is on.

Other browsers on macOS

Safari settings on Mac that decide what happens next

Safari › Settings › General has three download options worth checking. File download location sets the folder (Downloads by default, or Ask for each download). Remove download list items clears the list after one day, when Safari quits, or upon successful download. And “Open ‘safe’ files after downloading” makes Safari open each MP4 in QuickTime as soon as it lands.

If your Mac syncs Desktop & Documents to iCloud, the Downloads folder is separate and stays local, so long replays don't eat into iCloud storage.

To preview a clip without opening an app, select it in Finder and press the Space bar. To keep it in your photo library, drag the file onto the Photos app; with iCloud Photos turned on it then appears on your iPhone too.

Safari keeps a download in the list with a magnifier icon; clicking it reveals the file in Finder. If a download shows as failed, press the circular retry arrow: Safari will request the same quality again from the start.

Questions people ask