You can download your photos directly from Facebook using its built-in download tool
Facebook lets you download every photo you've uploaded in one batch file. The tool is called Download Your Information, and it's built into Facebook's settings — you don't need third-party software or extensions. The download includes photos you posted to your timeline, photos in albums you created, and photos you uploaded to events or groups you own. It does not include photos other people posted of you, photos you're tagged in but didn't upload, or photos from pages you follow.
The file arrives as a compressed folder (a .zip file) that can be several gigabytes depending on how many photos you have. Facebook sends it to you via email, and you can download it from a link they provide. The whole process usually takes a few hours to a day, though Facebook says it can take up to 30 days if you have a very large account.
Key Takeaways
- Download Your Information is Facebook's official tool for getting all your photos at once, found in Settings under Your Facebook Information.
- The download includes only photos you uploaded yourself, not photos other people posted of you or photos you're tagged in.
- Facebook sends you a download link by email, and the file arrives as a .zip folder that you extract on your computer.
- You can choose to download just photos, or photos plus other data like messages, posts, and comments in the same file.
- If you only want a few specific photos, downloading them one at a time through Facebook's photo viewer is faster than waiting for the full batch download.
How to start a download through Facebook's settings
Open Facebook on a computer (the mobile app doesn't have this feature). Click the downward arrow in the top right corner and select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Your Facebook Information. You'll see a section called Download Your Information — click the button that says Download or transfer info.
Facebook will ask you to choose a date range. You can select All of my information to get everything, or pick a specific year or range of years if you only want photos from a certain time. Then choose your file format — JSON is the most common and works on any computer, but you can also choose HTML if you want to view the photos in a web browser format.
Next, you'll see a list of data types: photos, videos, posts, messages, comments, and more. By default, all of them are checked. If you only want photos, uncheck everything except Photos and videos. Then click Create file. Facebook will process your request and send you an email when the download is ready.
What to expect while you wait for the download
Facebook usually prepares your download within a few hours, but it can take up to 30 days if your account is very large or if Facebook's servers are busy. You'll receive an email from Facebook with the subject line "Your Facebook download is ready." The email contains a link to download the file — click it to get your .zip folder.
The link stays active for a limited time (usually a few days), so download the file as soon as you see the email. If the link expires, you can go back to Settings > Your Facebook Information > Download or transfer info and create a new download request. You don't have to wait the full time again — Facebook may have your file ready immediately if you're requesting the same data.
How to open and view your downloaded photos
Once you download the .zip file, you need to extract it before you can see the photos inside. On Windows, right-click the .zip file and select Extract All. On Mac, double-click the .zip file and it will extract automatically. A new folder will appear with the same name as the .zip file.
Open that folder and look for a folder called photos. Inside, you'll find subfolders organized by year and month — for example, 2023-01 for January 2023. Each subfolder contains the actual photo files (usually .jpg format) plus a text file with information about each photo, like the date it was posted and any caption you wrote. You can open the photos in any image viewer or photo app on your computer.
Downloading individual photos instead of everything at once
If you only need a few photos, downloading them one at a time is much faster than waiting for Facebook to prepare a full batch. Open the photo on Facebook, click the three dots in the top right corner of the photo, and select Download. The photo will save to your computer's Downloads folder. This method works for any photo you uploaded, but not for photos other people posted of you.
For photos you're tagged in but didn't upload, you can still save them to your computer, but Facebook calls it a different action. Open the photo, click the three dots, and select Save photo. This saves a copy to a private collection on Facebook called Saved, but it doesn't download it to your computer. To get those photos on your computer, you'll need to right-click the photo and select Save image as, which downloads it directly from Facebook's servers.
What happens if you have photos in groups or events you created
Photos you uploaded to a group or event you created will be included in your Download Your Information file. They appear in the same photos folder as your timeline photos, organized by date. If you're a member of a group but didn't create it, photos you uploaded to that group are still yours and will be included, but photos other group members uploaded will not be.
If you're an admin of a Facebook page (not a personal profile), Download Your Information doesn't work the same way. You'll need to use the Page Settings instead. Go to your page, click Settings, then Download Page Information. This gives you a separate download of everything posted to that page, including photos you and other admins uploaded.
Transferring your photos to another service
Some people download their Facebook photos to move them to another service like Google Photos, Amazon Photos, or a personal backup drive. Once you have the .zip file extracted, you can upload the photos from the photos folder to any of these services using their upload tools. Google Photos, for example, lets you drag and drop folders directly into the browser window.
Keep in mind that the text files Facebook includes (with captions and dates) won't automatically transfer to other services — you'll just get the photo files themselves. If you want to preserve captions and dates, you may need to manually add them in the new service, or use a specialized tool designed to transfer Facebook data. Most people find it simpler to just keep the captions in a separate document if they're important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download photos that other people posted of me?
No, Download Your Information only includes photos you uploaded yourself. For photos other people posted of you, you can save them individually by opening the photo, clicking the three dots, and selecting Save photo to your Saved collection, or right-clicking and selecting Save image as to download to your computer.
Will my download include videos I posted?
Yes, if you don't uncheck Photos and videos during setup. Videos are included in the same download as photos and appear in the same folder structure. If you only want photos and not videos, uncheck the videos option before clicking Create file.
What if I delete my Facebook account — do I lose the download link?
No, the download link stays active for several days after Facebook sends it, even if you delete your account afterward. Download the file before you delete your account to be safe. If you've already deleted your account and didn't download it, you cannot request a new one.
Can I download my photos on my phone?
The Download Your Information tool is only available on the Facebook website, not in the mobile app. You'll need to use a computer to request the download. Once you receive the email with the download link, you can download the .zip file on your phone, but extracting and viewing the photos is easier on a computer.
How much storage space will the download take up?
It depends on how many photos you have and their quality. A typical photo is 2 to 5 megabytes, so 1,000 photos might take up 2 to 5 gigabytes of space. Check how much free space your computer has before downloading. You can delete the .zip file after you extract it to save space.