Save a video from Instagram, X or WhatsApp to check it

Most of the time you don't need to save anything: copy the post's link and paste it into the checker, which fetches the best copy it can. You only need the file itself when there is no link, as with a WhatsApp forward, or when the post is private. Here's how to get a good copy in each case, and what to avoid.

First choice: copy the link

For a public post on Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok, Reddit, Vimeo or one of 1,000+ other sites, a link beats a file. With a link, Video Verifier fetches the video itself, reads the post's caption and tags for AI labels, and looks up published fact-checks, none of which a bare file can offer.

Where to find the link, at the time of writing (apps change, so look for similar wording):

• Instagram: tap the share (paper plane) icon on the Reel or post, then "Copy link".
• X: tap the share icon under the post, then "Copy link".
• YouTube: tap "Share", then "Copy link".
• Facebook: tap "Share", then look for "Copy link".

Then paste it on the home page. For tips specific to each app, see our pages for Instagram and X.

WhatsApp: you need the file

A WhatsApp forward doesn't carry a link to the original post, so save the video itself:

• Android: depending on your settings, received videos may already be in your gallery. If not, open the video, tap the menu and look for "Save" or "Share".
• iPhone: open the video, tap the share icon and look for "Save".
• Quicker on Android: install our site as an app from your browser, then use WhatsApp's share button to send the video straight to it, with no saving step.

Upload the file on the home page. It can be MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV, up to 50 MB and 10 minutes long. Our WhatsApp page covers what else to check besides the scan, such as the forward label and the caption.

Downloads from Instagram and X: useful, with catches

Sometimes you want the file anyway, for instance to keep a copy in case the post is deleted.

• Instagram lets people download many public Reels from the share menu, unless the creator has turned that off. The download carries an Instagram watermark with the account name, and Reels that use licensed music may download without their soundtrack. No soundtrack means a voice check has nothing to listen to, so for checking, the link is better.
• X offers a download option on some videos to paying subscribers, where the uploader allows it. Otherwise, use the link.

Third-party "downloader" sites and apps exist, but they can be full of ads and pop-ups, and some ask for permissions they don't need. If you use one, never sign in with your social media account.

Screen recording: the last resort

If a video sits in a private account or a chat that won't let you save it, a screen recording is fine for checking. On most Android phones the recorder is in the quick settings panel; on iPhone, look for Screen Recording in Control Centre. Do it well:

1. Turn on Do Not Disturb so notifications don't land on top of the video.
2. If the recorder asks, choose the phone's own sound rather than the microphone, so room noise doesn't mix with the soundtrack.
3. Play the video full screen from the very start.
4. Let the whole clip play, then trim the extra seconds at each end in your gallery.
5. Don't zoom, crop or add filters.

Know what you lose. A screen recording is a brand-new file: the original's metadata and any Content Credentials are gone, and the picture has been compressed one more time. That makes every check less certain. If you find the original post later, check that too.

Why the copy you check matters

Every save, forward and re-upload compresses a video again. From best to worst:

1. The original post's link.
2. A file downloaded from the original post.
3. A forwarded file, such as a WhatsApp video.
4. A screen recording of a forward.

Each step down throws away detail that your eyes and a detector both rely on. Our video model is tested on WhatsApp-quality and heavily compressed copies, so it still works on forwards, but the clearer the copy, the more confident any answer can be. Our post on why compression makes fakes harder to catch explains what gets lost along the way.

Below: a real concert clip from Wikimedia Commons, a crowd under red stage lights, which our video model read as 99% real. Dark crowds and strong coloured light are hard on compression, and every re-save smears them a little more. With footage like this, checking the best copy you can find pays off.

Video VerifierReal video

Video is likely

Real

Test set · Oct 2026crackly-ai.comVideo model: 99% real

Be careful with private videos

Checking a video someone sent you is reasonable. Spreading it is a different matter. If a clip is private, intimate or shows someone in distress:

• Check it, but don't re-share it, not even to say it's fake.
• Never forward intimate videos of anyone, whether they're real or AI-made. Sharing them can be a crime in India and many other countries, and it causes real harm either way.
• If you're the person in the video, our guide on what to do about a deepfake of yourself explains the steps.

Files you upload to Video Verifier are deleted automatically within 24 hours. The report stays, so you can share its link instead of the video. In a family group, that's often the kindest way to say "this one isn't real".

Check it now

Got the link or the file? Paste or upload it on the home page. A Quick Scan is free to try, needs no sign-up and answers in under a minute for most videos.

Quick answers

Is it better to upload a file or paste a link?

A link, when there is one. It usually gives a better copy, plus the post's caption and a fact-check lookup.

Why won't my link work?

Private posts can't be fetched. Save the video or screen-record it, then upload the file.

My video is longer than 10 minutes. What now?

Trim it to the part that matters in your phone's gallery editor, keeping the file under 50 MB, and upload that.