Visible photoactive AgBr/TiO2 was immobilized on a SiO2@Fe3O4 magnetic support by solvothermal and sol–gel methods to form a AgBr–TiO2/SiO2@Fe3O4 magnetic photocatalyst. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and magnetometry. Hetero-structured AgBr/TiO2 was well seeded on the shell–core SiO2@Fe3O4 structure. The AgBr–TiO2/SiO2@Fe3O4 magnetic photocatalyst exhibited high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue under visible light. The photocatalyst was superparamagnetic, which is beneficial for facile magnetic separation.