Sharing a video: download button removed

My support ticket to Microsoft was answered as follows:

After a thorough review and internal testing, we’ve identified that this behavior is by design and is directly related to a recent platform-wide update from Microsoft.

Stream and Clipchamp Integration

Microsoft has recently completed the migration of Stream (Classic) to Stream (on SharePoint) and unified its video services under the Clipchamp brand. As part of this transition:

All videos stored in SharePoint and OneDrive now open in the new Clipchamp-style viewer.

This viewer no longer includes a download button for users accessing videos via “Anyone with the link” sharing.

Even if the “Block download” option is not enabled, the download button is intentionally hidden in this new experience.

This change is not a bug, but a design decision by Microsoft to streamline video playback and security across Microsoft 365.

Reference:

You can read more about this transition and its implications in Microsoft’s official documentation:

Sharing a video: download button removed | Microsoft Community Hub

Stream (on SharePoint) FAQ – Microsoft Learn

Migration Overview – Stream (Classic) to Stream (on SharePoint)

Why is Download Button Not Available – Microsoft Q&A

To ensure your clients can still download the videos, here are two simple and effective workarounds:

Option 1: Share a Zipped Version of the Video

Locate the video file in your SharePoint or OneDrive library.

Right-click the video and select Download to save it locally.

Compress the video into a .zip file using your operating system’s built-in compression tool.

Upload the .zip file back to SharePoint or OneDrive.

Right-click the .zip file and choose Share.

Set the link to “Anyone with the link can view”.

Share this new link with your clients. They will now see a Download button.

Option 2: Share from OneDrive with Direct File Link

Upload the video to OneDrive.

Right-click the video and select Share.

Click Settings (gear icon) and ensure:

“Anyone with the link” is selected.

“Block download” is unchecked.

Copy and share the link.

Clients will be able to download the video directly from the OneDrive interface.

Microsoft’s new viewer prioritizes streaming over downloading to enhance security and reduce accidental data leakage. While this improves playback consistency, it does limit download options for anonymous users.

---------------------------------

There must be a way to replace the native video player in SharePoint. Are we really just stuck with a 'oh well figure it out' situation?  We have 100s of links in project boards that clients access and have to share with their internal teams. The solutions provided really aren't feasible for that.