Which Browsers Can Download From the Ad Library?

Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera and Arc can all run a Meta Ad Library downloader, because they're all built on Chromium and install the same extension from the Chrome Web Store. Firefox and Safari mostly can't — they use separate extension stores where these tools are rarely published.

That's the whole answer in two lines. The rest of this post is the setup for each browser, why the split exists, and what to do if you're on one of the browsers that doesn't work. The extension I'll use as the example is our own free Meta Ad Library Downloader — disclosed: we built it, it's free, no account needed — but the browser logic below applies to any downloader distributed through the Chrome Web Store.

Why does one Chrome extension work in Edge and Brave too?

Because Edge, Brave, Opera and Arc aren't really different browsers under the hood. They're all built on Chromium, the same open-source engine Chrome runs on, and they all support the same extension format (Manifest V3) and the same store.

That means there is no "Edge version" or "Brave version" of an Ad Library downloader to look for. The one listing on the Chrome Web Store installs in all of them, runs identically in all of them, and updates in all of them.

Here's the full picture:

How do I set it up in Chrome, Brave or Edge?

Chrome is the zero-friction case. Open the extension's listing, click "Add to Chrome," confirm. Go to facebook.com/ads/library, run a search, and every ad card gets a Download button. That's it. I walked through the full Chrome flow, including the bulk "Find all ads" ZIP export, in the Chrome extension guide.

Brave works the same way with one possible extra click. Brave installs directly from the Chrome Web Store; older Brave versions showed a one-time prompt asking to allow Google's store, which you accept once. One thing to watch: Brave's Shields can interfere with pages on facebook.com. If ads load but the download buttons don't appear, click the Brave lion icon in the address bar and set Shields to Down for facebook.com, then reload. Ad research on Facebook's own domain is the one place an aggressive blocker works against you.

Edge also installs straight from the Chrome Web Store. The first time you visit it, Edge shows a banner — "Allow extensions from other stores" — flip that on once and the "Add to Chrome" button becomes clickable. After that, everything behaves exactly as it does in Chrome. Don't bother hunting Microsoft's own Edge Add-ons store for a niche ad tool; most developers, us included, publish to the Chrome Web Store only, since Edge can read from it anyway.

Does an Ad Library downloader work in Firefox?

Usually not, and here's the honest reason. Firefox runs on its own engine (Gecko) and has its own store, Firefox Add-ons. A Chrome extension can't be installed there — the developer has to port it, test it, and maintain a second listing forever.

For niche tools like Ad Library downloaders, most developers don't. Our extension is Chrome Web Store only as of August 2026, and the same is true of most downloaders we're aware of — though we can't speak for every tool, so search Firefox Add-ons yourself before assuming. If you do find one there, judge it by its listing and recent reviews the way you would any extension.

The practical answer for Firefox users doing serious Meta ad research: keep Firefox as your daily browser and run a Chromium browser — Brave if you care about the privacy posture — just for ad research. A dedicated research browser is genuinely pleasant anyway: separate profile, separate logins, no personal browsing mixed into it.

What about Safari?

Safari is a no. Apple runs a fully separate extension ecosystem: extensions must be converted with Xcode, wrapped in a Mac app, and distributed through the App Store. That's a real porting project, not a checkbox, and almost no ad-research tool has done it. We haven't either.

If you're on a Mac with Safari as your main browser, you don't need to switch your life over. Install Chrome, Brave or Edge alongside it, use it only for the Ad Library, and leave everything else where it is. Every option is free.

What if I can't (or won't) install a Chromium browser?

Locked-down work machine, or you just refuse — fair. You still have two routes, both slower than an extension but workable:

1. The devtools Network tab. Every browser ships developer tools, and you can pull a single ad's video file straight from the network requests — play the ad, filter requests to media, open the file, save it. It works in Firefox and Safari too. Full walkthrough in downloading ads with devtools, and the broader set of single-ad methods is in how to download Facebook Ad Library videos. The catch: it's a ritual per ad, it fumbles carousels, and it doesn't scale past a handful of ads.

2. Screen recording. The universal fallback — every OS can do it, no install at all. You lose quality and you capture in real time, which gets old fast. When recording beats downloading (and when it doesn't) is covered in screen record vs. download.

Neither fallback gives you bulk export, deduplication, or a searchable board of what you saved. If you're pulling more than five ads a week, the ten minutes it takes to set up a Chromium browser pays for itself the first day.

FAQ

Does the Facebook Ad Library downloader work on Brave?

Yes. Brave is Chromium-based and installs extensions directly from the Chrome Web Store, so any Ad Library downloader that works in Chrome works in Brave. If download buttons don't appear on facebook.com/ads/library, lower Brave Shields for facebook.com and reload — Brave's blocking can interfere with scripts on that page.

Can I install a Chrome extension in Microsoft Edge?

Yes. Visit the extension's Chrome Web Store page in Edge, enable "Allow extensions from other stores" when the banner appears (a one-time toggle), and click "Add to Chrome." The extension installs, runs and updates in Edge exactly as it would in Chrome.

Is there an Ad Library downloader for Firefox?

Mostly no. Firefox uses its own add-on store, and most Ad Library downloaders — including Klipio's, as of August 2026 — are published only to the Chrome Web Store. Check Firefox Add-ons in case that changes, but the reliable route is running a free Chromium browser (Chrome, Brave or Edge) just for ad research.

How do I download ads from the Ad Library on Safari?

There's no Safari extension for this — Apple's extension ecosystem requires a separate Mac App Store build that ad-research tools generally haven't made. On a Mac, either install a free Chromium browser alongside Safari for research, or pull individual ad videos manually through Safari's Web Inspector network panel.