You can download all your Facebook photos using Facebook's built-in export tool, save individual photos one by one, or use a service like everkept to skip the wait entirely. Here's exactly how to do all three.
To download all your Facebook photos at once: go to Facebook Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information, select "Photos and videos," choose your quality setting, and click "Request a download." Facebook will email you a link to a ZIP file — usually within a few hours to a couple of days. If you'd rather skip the wait, everkept connects directly to your account and shows all your photos and videos instantly.
Facebook lets you request a complete copy of everything you've ever posted, including every photo and video. The catch: you have to wait while Facebook packages it all up, and the result is a messy ZIP file full of folders. But if you want everything and don't mind waiting, this is the official way.
On mobile? Tap the menu icon (☰) in the Facebook app, go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information. The steps are identical.
The ZIP file contains all the photos you uploaded, organized by album. What it doesn't include: photos other people posted where you were tagged, Facebook Stories, or high-resolution versions if Facebook already compressed them when you uploaded. The folder structure can also be confusing — albums are named with cryptic numbers, not your original album names.
Tired of waiting for the ZIP? everkept shows your photos instantly — no export needed.
Preview your gallery free →If you only need a handful of specific photos, saving them one at a time is faster than waiting for a ZIP file. The downside is obvious: if you have thousands of photos, this becomes tedious very quickly.
This method works well for saving a few favorites quickly. For anything more than 20 or so photos, though, it becomes painfully slow. That's where a dedicated tool makes a real difference.
The two methods above work — but they weren't built with your experience in mind. Facebook's export tool makes you wait, gives you a ZIP file, and shows photos in a confusing folder structure. Saving individually takes forever if you have more than a handful of photos.
everkept is a different approach entirely. Instead of exporting and downloading, everkept connects directly to your Facebook account and shows all your photos and videos in a beautiful, searchable gallery — organized by year, faces, and places, the way your memories actually live in your mind. You can browse everything instantly and download any photo or video (or all of them) in one click.
everkept turns your Facebook photo and video archive into a beautiful gallery you can actually enjoy. Browse by year, search by person, download anything — no confusing folders to dig through.
Preview your gallery free →Works with Facebook and Instagram • No credit card required to browse
Here's how the three methods stack up across the things that matter most:
| Method | Time to access | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook export (ZIP) | 1–72 hours | ✓ Official / free ✓ Gets everything you uploaded |
✗ Long wait ✗ Messy folder structure ✗ No browsing or search |
| Save individually | Instant (per photo) | ✓ No wait ✓ Free ✓ Simple |
✗ Very slow for many photos ✗ One at a time only ✗ No bulk options |
| everkept | 2 minutes | ✓ Instant gallery ✓ Beautiful, searchable ✓ Bulk download |
✗ Requires sign-in ✗ Premium features paid |
How do I download all my Facebook photos at once?
Go to Facebook Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information. Select "Photos and videos," choose "High" quality, pick your date range, and click "Request a download." Facebook emails you a link to a ZIP file — typically within a few hours, though large accounts can take 1–3 days. Alternatively, everkept gives you instant access to all your photos and videos in one organized gallery.
How long does Facebook take to prepare your photo download?
It depends on how many photos you have. Small accounts with a few hundred photos usually get their file within 2–4 hours. If you've been on Facebook since the early days and have thousands of photos and videos, it can take 2–3 days. Facebook sends an email notification when the file is ready, and the download link expires after a few days.
Can I download Facebook photos on my phone?
Yes. In the Facebook mobile app, go to Menu → Settings & Privacy → Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information. The process is the same as on desktop. For individual photos, tap and hold any photo in the app, then choose "Save to phone."
Will downloading my photos delete them from Facebook?
No. Downloading creates a copy on your device — your photos remain on Facebook exactly as they were. Nothing is removed from your profile, albums, or timeline. This is true whether you use the ZIP export method, save individually, or use a third-party tool.
Why are my downloaded Facebook photos lower quality than the originals?
Two reasons. First, make sure you selected High under Media Quality when requesting your download — Facebook defaults to a compressed option. Second, Facebook compresses photos when you upload them, so even the "original" Facebook version may be slightly lower quality than the file you first uploaded. For the best results, everkept retrieves the highest-quality version Facebook has stored.
Can I download photos I was tagged in (but didn't post)?
Not with Facebook's export tool — it only includes photos you uploaded. Photos posted by others where you appear will not be in your ZIP file. To save those, you'll need to open each one individually and save it, or ask the person who posted it to share it with you directly.
What format does Facebook use for photo downloads?
Facebook delivers photos as JPEG files inside a ZIP archive. The folder structure roughly follows your albums. Some EXIF metadata — like GPS location and original capture timestamps — may be stripped by Facebook before the export, so your downloaded photos may lack some of the metadata the originals had.
Is there a way to see my Facebook photos in a nice gallery without downloading a ZIP?
Yes — that's exactly what everkept is built for. everkept connects to your Facebook account and displays all your photos in a clean, searchable gallery organized by year, people, and places. You can browse everything right away, with no confusing folders to dig through. Download individual photos and videos, or your entire archive, anytime, in one click.
everkept turns years of Facebook photos into a gallery you'll actually want to revisit — organized, searchable, and beautiful. Try it free in under two minutes.
Preview your gallery free →Facebook & Instagram supported • Your data stays private