Twitter set a six-second limit on videos uploaded to Vine. It won't even take you that long to download Vine videos, Internet connection permitting.

Like GIF images, Vine videos are short, looping and take up a lot of space. If you are running out of bandwidth on your cellular data plan or visit places with poor network coverage, you might want to download Vine videos  for offline viewing. Here's how to do it.

The Three-Click Method

This is the easiest method. Open Vine on your desktop browser and sign in. Scroll down to the video you want to save. Then right-click, select “Save Video As”, choose a file name and click Save. That's it!

Final-Vine-desktop-save-MUO-1

Similar alternatives are websites like VineDownloader.com or SaveDeo.com. All you have to do is go to the website and paste the video URL before hitting the download button.

Make sure you have a media player such as VLC to play these videos. It goes without saying that you can transfer these videos to any device that you travel with.

This method isn't ideal for saving multiple videos quickly. You'll have to scroll to each video and click save, or paste each URL separately into Vine Downloader. If you want to save a lot of videos, check out the next method.

VineClient [No Longer Available]

Vine's own website isn't optimised for desktop viewing and starts autoplaying videos, which may not be to your liking. If you use Google Chrome, VineClient is a great extension for viewing and downloading Vine videos. It puts a handy download button above each video and displays three videos in each row. This means that on a large, widescreen display, you will easily be able to see four to eight videos without scrolling.

Final-VineClient-MUO-download-5

By default, VineClient doesn't play videos until you click on them. Unlike Vine's official website, VineClient lets you upload videos, too. It's a three-step process and the extension clearly mentions size and time limits on the upload page.

The first time you run VineClient, it asks you to revine its video and follow its account. The video asks people to download the extension, which is a form of advertising. The good news is that you can ignore these requests.

Final-VineClient-MUO-advert-1

Like all third-party Vine apps, VineClient too has one limitation: You cannot sign in using your Twitter ID. You will need to sign in using an email address. To do this, open the Vine app on your smartphone and edit your profile. Add an email address and set a password to sign in using third-party apps.

VineDrive [No Longer Available]

While the aforementioned options are great for desktop and laptop users, they're not as convenient for smartphones and tablets. If you want to save videos on your iOS device, install the free VineDrive app. Although this app allows you to log in using your email address, it isn't mandatory. You can click the link above the login form to start watching Vine videos without logging in.

VineDrive-download-final

If you have a Vine URL copied to your clipboard, the next screen automatically shows a download option. This app has a Videos tab, where you can view all your saved videos. Unlike other media players, VineDrive automatically plays your Vine videos in a loop.

Should you choose to log in, you'll find that VineDrive is a good app for the six-second video service. It disables autoplay by default and puts a download button below each video on your timeline. The only limitation is that it doesn't let you upload videos.

VineDrive-ad-timeline

This app has an in-app purchase called “Vine video export” ($1.99). If you want to share downloaded Vine videos via iMessage or email, you'll have to pay. It's safe to say that you will not need this purchase. The other person you share videos with will have to download them anyway, which can be done using any of the methods mentioned above.

If you have an Android phone, you can use apps such as VineSaver or Vine Downloader to watch Vine videos offline.

Conclusion

Vine's six-second videos can be very creative and fun to watch repeatedly. Vine is not just about funny videos as you can see from the way politicians, NGOs and marketeers are using it. If you are not sure where to find great Vine videos, check Joshua's list of 10 unique Vine users you must follow.

Which are your favourite videos? If you've downloaded any of those, tell us how you did it in the comments section below.