Analyze returns an error
- Private or deleted post — open the link in a private browser window. If the platform asks you to log in, the link is not public. This is the most common cause of "login required" or "private or restricted" messages.
- Unsupported link — only public post and video links from supported platforms are accepted. See our supported link types guide. Profile pages, messenger links, and unrelated domains are rejected.
- Rate limit — wait a minute and try again if you sent many requests quickly from the same device or network.
- Geo or age restriction — some clips are blocked in certain regions. Try from the country where the content is available.
- Expired disappearing post — temporary posts disappear after 24 hours. See our disappearing posts guide.
"Private or restricted" but the post looks public
A short-form video may appear public in your logged-in app but still be restricted on the server side — for example, age-gated content, limited-audience posts, or accounts that block embeds. Confirm in an incognito window without logging in. If login is required there, third-party download tools cannot access the media.
Thumbnails missing
CDN hotlink rules sometimes block preview images in the browser. You can still download if analyze succeeded and stream tokens were returned. Refresh the page or try a different browser if the UI looks empty but analyze reported success.
Download does not start
On iOS Safari, use the Downloads tab inside the site or install the mobile app for save-to-gallery. Allow pop-ups or downloads if your browser blocks them. On Android Chrome, check that "Ask where to save" is not blocking silent downloads.
Video quality looks low
Supported platforms may only expose SD encodes for some clips. Copy the link again from the original post instead of a reshared message. See the public video links guide for details.
Slow analyze
Analysis can take longer during peak traffic or for large carousel posts. Wait for the loading indicator to finish — closing the tab early cancels the request. If analyze exceeds several minutes, try again later.
Still stuck?
Email support from our contact page with the link type (short-form video, carousel, share link) and the exact error message shown at https://www.zoeapps.tech/powerdownloader. Include whether the link opens without login in a private browser window — that helps us diagnose restricted content vs server issues.