If you are afraid to lose the pictures and other memories Facebook stores for you, there is a way to get those pictures off of the site and onto your computer. Even if you are not planning to abandon your Facebook presence, you may have reason to download some or all of your pictures. This process makes it possible to save any pictures from Facebook onto your computer. If other people have posted photos you would like to keep, you can download those as well. Remember, those pictures are the property of the person who took them, so be careful how you use them to avoid legal issues.
Downloading a Single Photo from the Web
To get one picture, first open the image and hover your mouse over the picture you want to download. Then click on the word “options.”
Choose “Download” from the list of options, and the photo will download to your computer.
Downloading a Single Photo from the Facebook App
If you are using Facebook’s mobile app, and you come across a picture you want to save, first bring up the photo you want to save.
Click on the three dots in the upper right corner. Choose “Save Photo.”
Downloading All Your Photos and Other Data
If you decide to download all of your photos, just in case of a problem, there is a reasonably quick process from the Web version of Facebook on your computer. The files you will receive may be huge, depending on how much you’ve used Facebook, and may not work well on a mobile device.
Click on the arrow on the right side of the blue Facebook bar at the top of the screen.
Select Settings.
Click on “Download a copy of your Facebook data” at the bottom of the list.
Select “Download Archive.” It will ask you to enter your password to verify your identity and protect your privacy.
Click on “Start archive.”
When it is done creating the files, you will receive a notification and an email that it is complete. I had 268 MB of data, and it took less than ten minutes to create.
Enter your password again. A zip file will download to your computer. It will take a few minutes to download.
The files you receive in that zip folder include everything you’ve ever put on Facebook. There are folders for the photos, videos, messages, and your feed. 8. Extract the files to the destination of your choice. This process takes the most time. I extracted all of the data, but if you only want the pictures, it is possible to extract only specific folders. Extracting my data took about fifteen minutes. When you have downloaded your data, you should consider encrypting the information when you are not looking at it for an extra layer of protection.
Conclusion
Even if you are not planning to leave Facebook, downloading a copy of your pictures will guarantee you have access to them in the future. Going through this process is simple and may help prevent a lot of headaches later.
