Download Xiaohongshu Videos on iPhone
The complete guide to saving REDnote (小红书) video notes in original HD directly from Safari - no app install required.
Xiaohongshu (also known as RED or REDnote, 小红书) does not offer a built-in "save video" button for most notes - and the in-app recorder that exists for a few post types re-records your screen, adding UI overlays and quality loss. The clean way to keep a video note on your iPhone is to grab its original MP4 stream with a web extractor like DownSwift, then save that file to the Photos app. Everything below works on stock iOS Safari with zero extra installs.
What You Need
- The Xiaohongshu app (any recent version) or the
xiaohongshu.comsite in Safari - An iPhone / iPad on iOS 14 or newer - no settings changes needed
- 2 minutes. The whole flow is: copy link, paste, save.
Step-by-Step (60 Seconds)
Open the video note in Xiaohongshu
Find the video you want, then tap the share arrow (分享) at the top-right of the note.
Copy the share link
In the share sheet, tap "Copy Link" (复制链接). The text on your clipboard now contains an xhslink.com short URL plus a few words of note text - DownSwift parses that automatically, so paste it as-is.
Paste into DownSwift
Open this page's input box (or downswift.com), tap "Paste", then hit the Download button. No sign-in needed.
Choose quality and tap Download
Within seconds you'll see the original video options - pick 1080p (or the highest offered) to keep full quality.
Save the file into Photos
iOS opens the video in Quick Look. Tap the Share icon (bottom-left) then "Save Video". The clip is now in your Photos library, watermark-free.
Why the "Save Video" Button Is Missing on Most Notes
Xiaohongshu only exposes a native save action for some creator-enabled posts. For everything else the platform intentionally keeps downloads off the table, because the watermark-free original is what makes creator content exclusive to the app. That is also why third-party tools exist: they read the note's public media stream the same way the app does, then hand you the raw file.
iPhone Saving Tips That Save You Headaches
- Paste the whole share text. Xiaohongshu copies a banner sentence plus the URL into your clipboard. DownSwift extracts the URL automatically - you don't need to trim it.
- Live Photos & carousels are different files. A photo post with motion ("live") images exports as the still plus the motion clip; use the photo album guide for image sets.
- iPhone storage full? Quick Look previews the file before saving - you can skip heavy 1080p and take the 720p option, which is usually 40-60% smaller with no visible loss on a phone screen.
- Keep it personal. Re-upload of other creators' work without permission violates Xiaohongshu's terms and copyright basics. Downloading for offline viewing or personal reference is the intended use.
Tip: On iPad you can additionally long-press the result and choose "Save to Files" to keep MP4s in the Files app instead of Photos.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Link expired" or empty result | xhslink.com short links die after a while - reopen the note and copy it again. |
| Safari shows a black preview | Tap the three-dot menu in the player and download from the full-screen view, or use "Save Video" from the share row. |
| No 1080p option | The creator uploaded in 720p; you are already getting the original. |
| Only a cover image appears | You pasted a photo-note link, not a video note - see the album guide above. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Copy the note link in the Xiaohongshu app, paste it into DownSwift in Safari, then use Share and Save Video. No third-party app or shortcut is needed.
No. DownSwift fetches the original MP4 stream Xiaohongshu's servers deliver to the app, which has no burned-in watermark.
The share sheet copies the link plus promotional text. Extractors like DownSwift automatically pull the URL out of that text, so you can paste it unchanged.
Downloading public content for personal, offline viewing is generally fine. Republishing someone else's video without permission is not - always credit creators or ask first.
