PixHoldHow to fix a video that will not download
Find the message you got, or the thing that happened, and try the fix under it. Most problems come down to the kind of page behind the link or to the browser you are using.
Messages from PixHold
“We could not find a downloadable video on that page”
PixHold read the page but saw no video file in it. The usual reasons:
- The site streams video in many small pieces (HLS or DASH) instead of one file. Most subscription streaming services and many large news sites do this. There is no single file to save.
- The video only appears after you sign in, accept a prompt or scroll, so it is not in the public page.
- The link points to a feed, a profile, a playlist or a search result. Open the single video and copy that address instead.
If the site offers a direct file link (an address ending in .mp4, .webm or
.mov), paste that.
“… support is coming soon”
You pasted a YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or X (Twitter) link. PixHold does not handle these platforms yet. The supported sites page shows what works today.
“This TikTok link does not point to a video or photo post” / “This TikTok post does not exist”
The link is to a profile, a sound or a search page, or the post was deleted. Open the post itself in TikTok, tap Share → Copy link and paste that link. Private and friends-only posts cannot be downloaded.
“Human verification failed”
Reload the page and try again. If it keeps failing, pause any content blocker or VPN that blocks
challenges.cloudflare.com, and check that JavaScript is turned on.
“You have reached today’s free limit”
Each visitor can look up 30 links a day. The counter resets at midnight UTC. People on the same network can share one counter, for example on office or campus Wi-Fi.
“The site took too long to respond” / “The site responded with an error”
The page behind your link was slow or refused the request. Wait a minute and try again. Some sites block requests that do not come from a signed-in browser; PixHold cannot read those pages.
Things that happen after you press Download
The video opens in a new tab
The site does not allow other pages to fetch its files, so PixHold opens the file for you instead. Save it from there:
- Computer: right-click the video and choose Save video as.
- iPhone and iPad: tap the Share button and choose Save to Files.
- Android: long-press the video and choose Download video.
Nothing happens at all
You are probably in a browser built into another app (TikTok, Instagram, Messenger, a chat app). Those often block downloads. Open pixhold.app in Safari or Chrome and paste the link there. Also check that the device has free storage.
The buttons worked a while ago and now fail
The file links a site hands out expire. Paste the original link again and PixHold fetches fresh ones.
The file downloaded but will not play, or plays sound only
The HD option for TikTok is encoded as H.265 (HEVC). Older phones, some Windows PCs and some editors cannot decode it. Download the H.264 option instead, or open the file with VLC.
“Could not build the ZIP”
None of the photos could be fetched, or the device ran out of memory while packing them. Tap the photos one by one to save them individually.
Device guides
Step-by-step instructions for each device are in the iPhone and iPad guide and the Android guide. Short answers to other questions are in the FAQ.