How to download YouTube videos on any device (2026)

The fastest way to download a YouTube video is to copy its link, paste it into a browser-based downloader such as vidstill, and save the MP4 it hands back. No app, no extension, and it works the same on a Mac, a Windows PC, an Android phone or an iPhone. The rest of this guide covers that method step by step, what YouTube's own offline feature does and does not give you, and why the desktop programs and browser extensions that dominate search results are the option to avoid.

Step by step in a browser

Copy the video's link. On the YouTube website, copy the address bar or click Share under the video and choose Copy. In the YouTube app, tap Share and then Copy link. Shorts links and short youtu.be links work too.
Paste it into the downloader and press Go. A card appears with the title, channel and length of the video.
Choose a quality. 360p saves instantly, straight from YouTube's servers to your browser. 720p, 1080p and higher are prepared first, which takes a few seconds, because YouTube stores HD video and its audio as two separate streams and they have to be merged into one file.
Save the file. Your browser downloads it like any other file. Where it lands depends on the device; see below.

That is the whole process. The differences between devices are only about where the file goes afterwards.

On a Mac or Windows PC

Downloads land in your Downloads folder. If the browser opens the video in a new tab and starts playing it instead of saving it, the link you clicked was a stream rather than a download; use the Download button on the card, which sets the file to save. Safari on Mac occasionally asks whether to allow downloads from the site the first time; allow it once and it remembers.

There is no length limit. A three-hour lecture at 1080p is a big file, several gigabytes, and takes correspondingly longer to prepare, but it works.

On Android

Chrome saves to the Downloads folder and posts a notification when the file is ready. Any gallery or video player opens it, and most file managers let you move it into Movies or a folder of your choice. Samsung's browser and Firefox behave the same way. There is nothing to install and no permission to grant beyond the download itself.

On iPhone and iPad

Use Safari. When the download starts, an arrow appears at the top of the screen; tap it to see progress. The file goes to the Downloads folder in the Files app, and it plays there. To move it into Photos, open it in Files, tap Share, and choose Save Video. That two-step route is a limit of iOS, not of the downloader, and it applies to every browser-based method. There is a longer walkthrough in the iPhone guide.

YouTube Premium's offline downloads

If you pay for YouTube Premium, the app has a Download button under most videos. It is the official route and it is worth knowing its limits before choosing it over a file:

The download lives inside the YouTube app. You cannot open it in another player, move it to a computer, or keep it after your subscription ends.
It expires. Downloads need the app to reconnect at least every 30 days, and some videos are not available offline at all.
It is not available in every country.

For watching on a plane, Premium is convenient. For keeping a video, editing a clip, or playing it somewhere the YouTube app is not, you need an actual file.

What to avoid

Desktop programs and browser extensions. Search results for this topic are full of installable downloaders. Some are fine; many are not, and there is no way to tell from the outside. A program you install has access to your whole machine, and the downloader category has a long record of bundled adware. A browser-based tool cannot install anything, which is the main reason to prefer one. There is more on judging a downloader in Is it safe to download YouTube videos?

Sites that ask you to install a "helper" or allow notifications. Neither is needed to download a video. Close the tab.

Recording your screen. It works, but you lose quality, you capture your own notifications, and a 20-minute video takes 20 minutes.

What cannot be downloaded

Private videos, and unlisted videos that require sign-in. A downloader only sees what a signed-out visitor sees.
Live streams while they are live. Once the stream ends and YouTube publishes the replay, it works like any other video.
Age-restricted videos, which require a signed-in adult account to view at all.
Whole playlists and channels. Paste each video's link separately. If you copy a video from inside a playlist, the link contains a list= parameter; that is fine, only the one video is fetched.

Choosing a quality

360p is the file YouTube still serves as a single combined stream, which is why it is instant. It is small, plays on anything, and is right for a quick save on mobile data. 720p suits a phone or tablet screen. 1080p is the choice for a laptop or TV, or for anything you plan to edit. Above that, file sizes grow fast: a ten-minute 4K video can be a gigabyte. For music, talks and podcasts, an MP3 of the audio is a fraction of the size of even the smallest video.

More than the file

The same link that gives you a download can also give you the video's transcript with timestamps, or an AI summary, from the other tabs on the card. If you are downloading a talk or a lecture to study from, the transcript is often the more useful thing to keep. See how to get a YouTube transcript.

A note on copyright

Downloading a video for your own offline viewing is generally accepted for content you are allowed to watch, and it is always fine for your own uploads or for videos released under a Creative Commons licence. Re-uploading, selling or redistributing someone else's video is not, and the rules vary by country. Download what you have the right to keep.

FAQ

Is there a free way to download YouTube videos? Yes. Browser-based tools such as vidstill are free for a few downloads a day, and a free account raises the allowance.

Why is HD slower than 360p? YouTube stores HD video and audio separately. A 360p file is the one combined format YouTube still serves, so it saves directly; HD needs the two streams merged first.

Does the download include sound? Yes, at every quality. Be wary of any tool that hands you an HD file without audio; it has given you the video-only stream.

Can I download YouTube Shorts? Yes. Paste the Shorts link; it is treated like any other video. Because Shorts are vertical, "720p" refers to the shorter side.

Do I need to sign up? No. Guests can download a few videos a day; signing up raises the limit.