As the 2nd-near visited site on the internet - after Google itself - YouTube has around 23 billion visitors per month. Nigh of them watch videos on the website or via one of the many YouTube apps.

Sometimes, though, y'all'll desire to download a video. Maybe that's to watch information technology offline, or mayhap yous want to relieve a useful video but in example it'southward always taken down. Whatever your reason, nosotros'll explain a few unlike means that you can exercise this. Information technology's possible - and like shooting fish in a barrel - to download videos on a Windows laptop or PC, and on Android phones. It'south not as easy on an iPhone, unless y'all pay for YouTube Premium, but it's possible if y'all're determined.

Do remember that watching videos in the YouTube app (or website) and not skipping the ads is the best way to support your favourite channels.

In that location are two official ways to download videos from YouTube. Showtime, at that place'southward the YouTube Become app which is available in countries where mobile data is too expensive for streaming them.

And so there'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, too, such equally no adverts and being able to listen to music in the background so yous can use other apps on your telephone.

YouTube Premium isn't cheap at £11.99/$eleven.99 per month, and if you just want to download an occasional prune it's probably too much to justify paying.

The good news is that it's easy to download YouTube videos using unofficial methods. Showtime, we recommend reading our guide to whether it'southward legal to download YouTube videos.

Download videos using YouTube Premium

If yous're a YouTube Premium subscriber so downloading videos is easy. In that location is i big caveat though: you tin can simply do it using the official YouTube or YouTube Gaming apps, which means you tin can't utilize Premium to download videos to your estimator - only to a phone or tablet.

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

How to download videos YouTube Premium

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

Download YouTube videos in Windows

As with websites, there are lots of options for downloading with a desktop app. Not all are free, but 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 piece of cake to download video - or only audio - from YouTube.

All yous take to practice is to copy the URL of a video and a pop-upwardly will ask if yous want to download the sound or video. Or you can set a default and it won't even ask: it will automatically download the MP3 or MP4 at the default quality.

It's reasonably priced at $ix.99 (around £7.xl), and you can try information technology out for 24 hours for free without entering whatsoever payment details.

how to download youtube videos to laptop

At that place are lots of alternatives, simply none that we've found to be every bit expert.

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

how to download youtube videos to laptop

If yous want a free option, attempt 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 cost y'all anything.

How to download YouTube videos

The process is virtually identical to using a website: you copy and paste the URL of the video into the app. And so you cull any options, such every bit the resolution to download, and then hit the Download push. Most apps permit you to build up a listing of videos and then download them in i go. Some even let yous paste in a YouTube playlist and automatically download all the videos.

Download YouTube videos in a web browser

If you want to relieve videos without installing an app, there are many websites where you can paste the URL of the YouTube video and then click on the resolution y'all want to download. These sites often go shut down, because 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 not be safety, and could pose a run a risk to your computer. This is why, firstly, it's important to run pinnacle-quality antivirus software and secondly, why we don't recommend this method of downloading any more.

Previous sites nosotros'd used for years, such equally SaveFrom, no longer operate in the United kingdom or US, and even if you do find a 'safe' site that will let y'all download videos, there are unremarkably restrictions.

Typically, yous'll exist 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 yous'll find that videos are downloaded in WebM format. Y'all tin can convert these videos into MP4 - or any format you similar using Freemake and Any Video Converter, or you could download and install VLC, which is a free video actor that tin can play just about any file.

How to download YouTube playlists

Sometimes you have to pay for software if you want an like shooting fish in a barrel life. Over again, ByClick Downloader is what we'd recommend.

If the video is part of a playlist you can click the 'Download playlist' push and you'll get a pop-up like the 1 shown below where y'all tin can choose which videos you want from the playlist. A single click on the Download push is all you demand afterwards that.

Y'all get a day'south complimentary trial to see if you similar the program, just after that you'll take to pay $9.99.

How to download YouTube Playlists

How practise I download music from YouTube?

Sometimes y'all might want to download but the audio from a video on YouTube. The easiest way to do this is to utilise ane of the methods above and choose MP3 (or whichever sound format is offered). This mode y'all'll only download the audio rails, with none of the video footage. That'due south ideal if you just desire to download some music or the audio from a YouTube podcast, and non have to take YouTube open and running on your phone while you listen.

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

If you don't heed paying, y'all can also download music as part of YouTube Music Premium, which is £9.99/$9.99 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 as y'all tin with a YouTube Premium subscription.

Download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet

There'south the official YouTube Premium service which we've mentioned already but at that place are other apps which let you to download videos straight on your Android telephone (including for free), but it'due south trickier on the iPhone. We've written dissever 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 y'all can as well download videos on your laptop using the methods in a higher place and then transfer them to your telephone or tablet, or upload them to a deject storage service, where you can so access the videos on whatsoever device.

To copy files from Windows to an Android telephone, connect the two with a USB cable and employ Windows File Explorer to copy the video files(s) to the advisable folder, typically named Movies. Then, yous tin can play the video using the Gallery app or another video thespian on your telephone.

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

If you don't want to utilise 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 and then they appear in the native apps. Find out more in our guide to transferring videos to iPad and iPhone.

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