How to Save Flash Movies in Safari

Most Flash movies are embedded in a Web page so that you can’t download them directly as you would an image. However, Apple’s Safari Web browser tracks any temporary files you download to your cache while surfing the Web, whether you are running it on a Mac or a PC. You can use Safari’s Activity window to find Flash movies that you’ve downloaded temporarily and save them to your hard drive for offline viewing.

Things You'll Need

• Safari 3.2.1 or later for Mac or PC

Instructions

1. Open the Safari program.

2. Navigate to the Web page where the Flash movie you want to download is located.

3. Allow the Flash movie to play in its entirety so that it is completely downloaded to your Safari cache.

4. Click the "Window" drop-down menu and select "Activity." A list of recently downloaded files will appear. Locate the .swf file you want to download.

5. Hold down the "Option" key on a Mac and double-click on the .swf file you want to download. On a PC, hold down the "Ctrl" key, double-click on the .swf file, click "Save" in the pop-up window, navigate to where you want the file saved and click "Save" again.

6. Click the "File" drop-down menu and select "Open File..." Locate the Flash movie you've downloaded and click "Open" to view the movie offline.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have trouble opening your downloaded .swf file on a PC, change the "Files of type..." pop-up menu in the "Open" window to "All Files."

• Some Flash movies, such as those found on retail Flash template sites, are copyright protected and will partially download but won't play back offline.

References

• Go Squared Blog: Download Any File From Any Site Using Safari

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish