Equally the second-almost visited site on the internet - after Google itself - YouTube has around 23 billion visitors per month. Most of them sentinel videos on the website or via one of the many YouTube apps.

Sometimes, though, you'll want to download a video. Perchance that'due south to watch it offline, or perhaps you want to relieve a useful video just in case it's ever taken downward. Whatever your reason, nosotros'll explain a few different ways that you can practise this. Information technology's possible - and easy - to download videos on a Windows laptop or PC, and on Android phones. It'southward not every bit easy on an iPhone, unless you pay for YouTube Premium, but it's possible if yous're determined.

Practise retrieve that watching videos in the YouTube app (or website) and not skipping the ads is the all-time fashion to support your favourite channels.

At that place are two official ways to download videos from YouTube. First, there's the YouTube Get app which is bachelor in countries where mobile data is too expensive for streaming them.

Then there's YouTube Premium, a paid-for service that allows users in other countries - including the UK and Usa - to download YouTube content in the app. There are other benefits of Premium, as well, such as no adverts and being able to listen to music in the background so you can employ other apps on your phone.

YouTube Premium isn't cheap at £11.99/$11.99 per calendar month, and if you lot just want to download an occasional clip it's probably as well much to justify paying.

The adept news is that it'south piece of cake to download YouTube videos using unofficial methods. First, nosotros recommend reading our guide to whether information technology's legal to download YouTube videos.

Download videos using YouTube Premium

If yous're a YouTube Premium subscriber then downloading videos is piece of cake. At that place is one large caveat though: you tin can only practice it using the official YouTube or YouTube Gaming apps, which means you tin't apply Premium to download videos to your computer - just to a phone or tablet.

To download simply open the app and head to the video you desire to download. Underneath the actor you should see a 'Download' icon - tap that, pick what video quality you desire to download, and that's it.

How to download videos YouTube Premium

Once the video has downloaded the icon below it will change to a bluish tick - tap this if yous want to remove the download. You'll be able to find all your downloaded videos in the Library or Account tabs.

Download YouTube videos in Windows

Equally with websites, there are lots of options for downloading with a desktop app. Not all are costless, only 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 you have to do is to copy the URL of a video and a popular-upwardly will inquire if you desire to download the audio or video. Or you can set a default and it won't fifty-fifty ask: it will automatically download the MP3 or MP4 at the default quality.

Information technology's reasonably priced at $9.99 (around £7.40), and yous can try it out for 24 hours for complimentary without entering any payment details.

how to download youtube videos to laptop

At that place are lots of alternatives, only none that nosotros've found to be as practiced.

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

how to download youtube videos to laptop

If y'all want a costless option, attempt WinX YouTube Downloader. This will nag you lot 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 cost you lot anything.

How to download YouTube videos

The process is virtually identical to using a website: y'all re-create and paste the URL of the video into the app. Then you choose any options, such every bit the resolution to download, then hitting the Download push button. Nearly apps permit yous to build up a list of videos and and then download them in one go. Some even allow you paste in a YouTube playlist and automatically download all the videos.

Download YouTube videos in a web browser

If you want to salvage videos without installing an app, there are many websites where you can paste the URL of the YouTube video and so click on the resolution y'all want to download. These sites often get shut down, considering they're regularly bombarded with cease & desist notices from copyright owners.

Also, these websites tend to redirect you to other sites which may or may non be rubber, and could pose a risk to your reckoner. This is why, firstly, it's important to run top-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 UK or US, and fifty-fifty if yous do find a 'safe' site that volition allow you download videos, there are normally restrictions.

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

Sometimes you'll find that videos are downloaded in WebM format. You tin can convert these videos into MP4 - or whatever format you like using Freemake and Any Video Converter, or you could download and install VLC, which is a free video player that tin can play just most whatsoever file.

How to download YouTube playlists

Sometimes y'all have to pay for software if y'all desire an like shooting fish in a barrel life. Again, ByClick Downloader is what we'd recommend.

If the video is role of a playlist you can click the 'Download playlist' push button and you'll get a pop-up like the i shown beneath where you tin choose which videos you lot desire from the playlist. A unmarried click on the Download button is all you demand after that.

You become a twenty-four hour period'southward gratuitous trial to see if you lot like the plan, merely afterwards that you'll have to pay $9.99.

How to download YouTube Playlists

How do I download music from YouTube?

Sometimes y'all might want to download only the audio from a video on YouTube. The easiest fashion to do this is to use i of the methods above and choose MP3 (or whichever audio format is offered). This manner yous'll merely download the audio rail, with none of the video footage. That'south ideal if you just want to download some music or the audio from a YouTube podcast, and not have to take YouTube open and running on your phone while you listen.

Information technology is possible to listen to YouTube in the background with this workaround for iPhones and a divide 1 for Android phones.

If you don't mind paying, you can also download music as office of YouTube Music Premium, which is £9.99/$ix.99 per calendar month. It will let you download songs and even music videos, but is limited to music - you won't be able to download other videos equally you can with a YouTube Premium subscription.

Download YouTube videos to a telephone or tablet

There'south the official YouTube Premium service which we've mentioned already simply in that location are other apps which let you to download videos directly on your Android phone (including for free), merely it'southward trickier on the iPhone. We've written carve up guides for both types of device:

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

But don't forget you lot tin can also download videos on your laptop using the methods in a higher place so transfer them to your phone or tablet, or upload them to a deject storage service, where yous can and so access the videos on whatsoever device.

To copy files from Windows to an Android phone, connect the ii with a USB cable and use Windows File Explorer to copy the video files(southward) to the appropriate binder, typically named Movies. So, yous tin play the video using the Gallery app or another video player on your phone.

If you have an iPhone or iPad, import the file into iTunes and so sync it to your iOS device. Alternatively, you can drag and drib the file(s) to your iPhone or iPad via the Apps tab when you click on your device in iTunes. All yous need is an app, such every bit Skillful Reader or another video playback app which can transfer files using this method.

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

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