Facebook's built-in download tool gets your photos in one batch

Facebook lets you download every photo you've uploaded in a single file through a feature called Download Your Information. This tool creates a compressed folder containing your photos, captions, dates, and other metadata. The process takes a few minutes to set up, and Facebook typically prepares your download within a few hours, though it can take up to a day for accounts with thousands of photos.

You'll need to be logged into your Facebook account to start. The download includes only photos you uploaded yourself — not photos others tagged you in, unless you also have copies saved to your account. If you want those tagged photos too, you'll need a separate approach, which we cover below.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings > Your Information > Download Your Information to start the process from a computer or phone.
  • Select the date range and content types you want — choose "Photos and Videos" and uncheck everything else if you only want photos.
  • Facebook sends a download link to your email, usually within a few hours, and the file arrives as a .zip folder you can open on any device.
  • Photos you're tagged in but didn't upload yourself won't be included unless you save them separately first.
  • The download includes your original high-resolution versions, not the compressed versions Facebook displays on your profile.

Step-by-step: Getting your download started

Open Facebook on a computer or phone and go to the menu in the top right corner. On a computer, click the downward arrow; on a phone, tap the three horizontal lines. Select Settings and Privacy, then Settings.

In the left sidebar (on a computer) or by scrolling down (on a phone), find Your Information. Click or tap Download Your Information. Facebook will show you a page with options for what to include in your download.

By default, Facebook selects all content types. Uncheck everything except Photos and Videos if you only want photos — this makes the file smaller and faster to prepare. Choose your date range: you can download everything since you created your account, or select a specific year or range. Click Create File.

Facebook will ask you to re-enter your password for security. Do this, and Facebook will begin preparing your download. You'll see a message saying it's in progress.

Where to find your download and how long it takes

Facebook sends an email to your account's registered email address when your download is ready. This usually happens within a few hours, but can take up to 24 hours for large accounts. Check your email (including spam folders) for a message from Facebook with the subject line "Your Facebook download is ready."

The email contains a link to download your file. Click it and save the .zip folder to your computer. You have a limited time to download — typically 5 days — so don't wait too long. If the link expires, you can go back to Download Your Information and create a new file.

Once you have the .zip file, open it like any other compressed folder. On Windows, right-click and select Extract All. On a Mac, double-click it. Inside, you'll find a folder structure organized by year and month, with your photos in their original resolution.

Getting photos that others tagged you in

The Download Your Information tool only includes photos you personally uploaded. If you want photos someone else posted and tagged you in, you'll need to save them individually or use a workaround.

The manual approach: Go to your profile, click Photos, then Photos of You. Open each photo, click the three dots in the corner, and select Download. This works for recent photos but becomes tedious with hundreds of images.

A faster option is to use a third-party tool like Photo Downloader for Facebook (a browser extension) or Facebook Photo Downloader (a standalone program). These tools can batch-download photos you're tagged in, though you'll need to review the privacy and security practices of any third-party tool before using it. Read the reviews and check what permissions it requests before installing.

Understanding what's included in your download

Your download contains the full-resolution versions of your photos, not the compressed versions Facebook shows on your profile. This means the files will be larger than what you see online, which is why the download can take time to prepare.

The folder also includes a JSON file (a text-based data file) for each photo containing metadata: the upload date, caption, number of likes and comments, and tags. You can open JSON files in any text editor if you want to review this information, though most people ignore these files.

Photos you've deleted from Facebook won't be in the download — the tool only includes photos currently on your account. If you deleted something years ago and want it back, this method won't recover it.

Organizing and backing up your photos after download

Once you have your photos on your computer, consider where you want to keep them long-term. A local hard drive works, but it's vulnerable to hardware failure. Many people move their photos to cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox for backup.

If you use Google Photos, you can upload your entire folder there. Open Google Photos, click the upload button, and select your photos folder. Google Photos will organize them by date and let you search by location or object. OneDrive and Dropbox work similarly.

Another option is an external hard drive kept in a safe place. This gives you a copy that's not dependent on internet access or a company's servers. Many people use both — local storage for everyday access and cloud storage for backup.

What to do if your download fails or doesn't arrive

If you don't receive an email after 24 hours, check your spam folder first. Facebook's emails sometimes get filtered. If it's not there, log back into Facebook and go to Download Your Information again — you may see a message explaining why the download failed.

Common reasons for failure include: your account has unusual activity that triggered Facebook's security systems, you have an extremely large number of photos that exceeded the file size limit, or a temporary server error. If you see an error message, try again in a few hours.

If you keep getting errors, try downloading a smaller date range instead of everything at once. For example, download 2020–2021 first, then 2022–2023 separately. This often works when a full account download times out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download photos from a Facebook group or page I manage?

The Download Your Information tool only works for your personal profile. For group or page photos, you'll need to download them individually or use a third-party batch downloader. Go to the group or page, click Photos, and download each image manually, or use a browser extension designed for that purpose.

Will downloading my photos delete them from Facebook?

No. Downloading creates a copy on your computer. Your photos stay on Facebook unless you delete them yourself. You can delete them from your profile after confirming the download worked if you want to remove them from Facebook.

What format are the photos in after I download them?

Facebook preserves the original format — usually JPEG for photos and MP4 for videos. The file names are long strings of numbers, not the original names you gave them, but the metadata file includes the captions and dates so you can identify them.

Can I download someone else's photos without their permission?

No. The Download Your Information tool only works on your own account. Downloading someone else's photos without permission violates Facebook's terms and may violate copyright law, depending on your location and the context.

How often can I create a new download?

You can create a new download whenever you want. There's no limit on how many times you use the tool. Many people create a new download every few months or once a year to keep their backup current.