Why can't I download a Reddit video, and how to fix it

If a Reddit video won't download, it's almost always because of one of these reasons: the post is private or from a locked community, the video was deleted, it's NSFW and requires signing in, the community is quarantined, you copied the link wrong, or it's a crosspost pointing to another post. Most of these have a fix in seconds. Here they all are, with their solution, so you can download with PullVid.

This guide is Reddit-specific. For problems that happen on any platform (the file won't play, slow download), see the general guide why can't I download a video.

1. The post is private or from a locked community

If the video is in a private community (only approved members can see it) or a restricted post, it isn't accessible from outside, and no tool can download it, because it would require your logged-in session and access permission.

Fix: you can only download videos from public posts and communities. If the content is behind a members-only wall, there's no legitimate way to get it.

2. The video was deleted or removed

If the author deleted the post or the moderators removed it, the video no longer exists and can't be recovered. You'll notice because opening the link on Reddit shows "[deleted]", "[removed]", or the page doesn't display the video.

Fix: open the link on Reddit. If Reddit itself won't play the video, no downloader will be able to get it, because the file is no longer hosted.

3. It's NSFW or age-restricted and requires signing in

Reddit hides content marked NSFW or age-restricted behind a warning that requires you to sign in to confirm your age. That content isn't accessible without an authenticated account, so it can't be downloaded with an anonymous tool.

• Fix: this content is intentionally restricted; there's no way around the login requirement. PullVid only processes open posts.
• Check whether the video is visible without signing in by opening it in a private browser window; if Reddit asks you to sign in, it won't be downloadable.

4. The community is quarantined

Reddit "quarantines" some communities, which adds a warning and restricts public access. Videos hosted in posts from a quarantined community often can't be processed from outside.

Fix: there's no fix on your end; it's a platform restriction. Only content from open communities is downloadable.

5. You copied the link wrong or it's expired

PullVid needs the link to the specific post with the video, not a comment's link or the community's link. Also, some shared links include temporary parameters that can expire.

• Open the post with the video and copy the full URL (reddit.com/ or redd.it/), not a comment's.
• If you used an old shared link, go back to the post on Reddit and copy the link again with Share → Copy Link.
• Review the correct ways to copy the URL in how to download from a link.

6. It's a crosspost pointing to another post

On Reddit, crossposting is very common: a post that reshares the video from another, original post. Sometimes the crosspost link doesn't process correctly because the video actually lives on the source post.

Fix: open the crosspost, tap on the original post (Reddit shows "crossposted from…"), and copy the link from that source post. With the original URL, the download usually works.

What if it downloaded with no sound?

If the problem isn't that it won't download, but that the video came out silent, it's not an access error: it's because Reddit stores video and audio in separate tracks. The full fix is in download a Reddit video with sound. And for the general process, see how to download Reddit videos.