As the second-well-nigh visited site on the internet - after Google itself - YouTube has around 23 billion visitors per month. Almost of them sentinel videos on the website or via 1 of the many YouTube apps.

Sometimes, though, you'll want to download a video. Maybe that's to watch it offline, or perhaps you want to save a useful video just in example it's always taken down. Whatever your reason, we'll explain a few unlike ways that you lot can do this. It'due south possible - and easy - to download videos on a Windows laptop or PC, and on Android phones. It's not as easy on an iPhone, unless you lot pay for YouTube Premium, but it'southward possible if y'all're determined.

Exercise recall that watching videos in the YouTube app (or website) and not skipping the ads is the best fashion to support your favourite channels.

In that location are two official ways to download videos from YouTube. First, there'due south the YouTube Become app which is bachelor in countries where mobile information is too expensive for streaming them.

Then in that location's YouTube Premium, a paid-for service that allows users in other countries - including the UK and US - to download YouTube content in the app. There are other benefits of Premium, as well, such every bit no adverts and being able to listen to music in the background and then y'all can use other apps on your phone.

YouTube Premium isn't cheap at £xi.99/$11.99 per calendar month, and if you simply want to download an occasional clip information technology'due south probably likewise much to justify paying.

The skilful news is that information technology'due south easy to download YouTube videos using unofficial methods. First, nosotros recommend reading our guide to whether it's legal to download YouTube videos.

Download videos using YouTube Premium

If you lot're a YouTube Premium subscriber then downloading videos is like shooting fish in a barrel. In that location is i large caveat though: you tin only do it using the official YouTube or YouTube Gaming apps, which means you can't use Premium to download videos to your calculator - just to a telephone or tablet.

To download simply open up the app and caput to the video you want to download. Underneath the player yous should encounter a 'Download' icon - tap that, pick what video quality you want to download, and that's it.

How to download videos YouTube Premium

In one case the video has downloaded the icon below it will change to a bluish tick - tap this if you lot desire to remove the download. You'll exist able to observe all your downloaded videos in the Library or Account tabs.

Download YouTube videos in Windows

As with websites, at that place are lots of options for downloading with a desktop app. Non all are gratis, just some are. A paid-for one we can recommend is ByClick Downloader. It has an easy-to-use interface, is regularly updated and makes it supremely easy to download video - or just audio - from YouTube.

All y'all have to do is to re-create the URL of a video and a pop-up will ask if you want to download the audio or video. Or y'all can set a default and it won't even ask: it will automatically download the MP3 or MP4 at the default quality.

It'southward reasonably priced at $ix.99 (effectually £vii.40), and you can try it out for 24 hours for costless without entering any payment details.

how to download youtube videos to laptop

There are lots of alternatives, but none that nosotros've constitute to be as adept.

They include iTubeGo, which offers a basic interface, merely which tin can download playlists and 4K videos. It's more expensive at $29.95 though.

how to download youtube videos to laptop

If you lot want a free pick, endeavour WinX YouTube Downloader. This will nag you to upgrade to the full version which includes conversion to other formats (including MP3), but if you can put up with these, it won't toll you anything.

How to download YouTube videos

The procedure is nearly identical to using a website: you copy and paste the URL of the video into the app. Then yous cull any options, such as the resolution to download, so hit the Download button. Nearly apps allow y'all to build upward a list of videos and so download them in one go. Some fifty-fifty permit you lot paste in a YouTube playlist and automatically download all the videos.

Download YouTube videos in a web browser

If yous want to save videos without installing an app, in that location are many websites where you can paste the URL of the YouTube video and then click on the resolution you desire to download. These sites often go shut down, because they're regularly bombarded with cease & desist notices from copyright owners.

Besides, these websites tend to redirect you to other sites which may or may not be safe, and could pose a chance to your computer. This is why, firstly, it'south important to run tiptop-quality antivirus software and secondly, why we don't recommend this method of downloading any more.

Previous sites we'd used for years, such as SaveFrom, no longer operate in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland or US, and even if you do discover a 'safety' site that will let you download videos, there are commonly restrictions.

Typically, you'll be limited to downloading a lower-quality 720p version, even if a video is in 1080p or 4K. And not all will download just the sound (from a music video, for example).

Sometimes you'll find that videos are downloaded in WebM format. Y'all can convert these videos into MP4 - or whatever format you like using Freemake and Any Video Converter, or yous could download and install VLC, which is a gratis video player that can play just nigh any file.

How to download YouTube playlists

Sometimes you have to pay for software if you want an easy life. Once more, ByClick Downloader is what nosotros'd recommend.

If the video is part of a playlist you can click the 'Download playlist' button and y'all'll go a popular-up like the i shown below where you lot tin can cull which videos you desire from the playlist. A single click on the Download button is all you demand after that.

You get a day's gratuitous trial to see if you like the plan, but after that you'll accept to pay $9.99.

How to download YouTube Playlists

How practice I download music from YouTube?

Sometimes you might want to download merely the audio from a video on YouTube. The easiest way to exercise this is to use one of the methods in a higher place and cull MP3 (or whichever audio format is offered). This manner you'll simply download the sound runway, with none of the video footage. That's ideal if y'all but want to download some music or the sound from a YouTube podcast, and not have to have YouTube open and running on your phone while y'all listen.

It is possible to listen to YouTube in the background with this workaround for iPhones and a separate one for Android phones.

If you don't heed paying, y'all can too download music equally function of YouTube Music Premium, which is £9.99/$9.99 per month. Information technology will let y'all download songs and fifty-fifty music videos, only is limited to music - you won't be able to download other videos as you can with a YouTube Premium subscription.

Download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet

There'south the official YouTube Premium service which nosotros've mentioned already simply there are other apps which let y'all to download videos directly on your Android phone (including for free), merely it's trickier on the iPhone. We've written separate guides for both types of device:

  • How to download YouTube videos on Android
  • How to download YouTube videos on iPhone & iPad

Only don't forget you can likewise download videos on your laptop using the methods above then transfer them to your telephone or tablet, or upload them to a deject storage service, where you can then access the videos on any device.

To copy files from Windows to an Android phone, connect the two with a USB cable and use Windows File Explorer to re-create the video files(s) to the appropriate binder, typically named Movies. Then, you can play the video using the Gallery app or another video player on your phone.

If yous accept an iPhone or iPad, import the file into iTunes and then sync it to your iOS device. Alternatively, yous can drag and drop the file(south) to your iPhone or iPad via the Apps tab when y'all click on your device in iTunes. All y'all demand is an app, such as Expert Reader or another video playback app which tin transfer files using this method.

If you lot don't want to use iTunes and you're happy to pay, Waltr 2 is an excellent little utility for copying videos, music and other files to your iOS device so they appear in the native apps. Find out more in our guide to transferring videos to iPad and iPhone.

Finally, here'south how to download any online video - not just YouTube, although almost all of the apps and services mentioned here will as well download videos from other streaming services and social media platforms including Facebook and DailyMotion.