How to download YouTube videos on PC, iOS, Android, and Mac

If you’re a YouTube fan like us, you might want to know the most viewed YouTube videos and download YouTube videos. YouTube has many captivating videos, from music hits to informative tutorials, and knowing how to access them offline can be handy. Let’s discover how to download YouTube videos across various devices, such as PC, iOS, Android, and Mac.

Is downloading YouTube videos legal?

Downloading YouTube videos doesn’t seem like a big deal at first glance, but it comes with ethical concerns to consider, depending on the original post’s intent. And it’s something Google doesn’t want you doing — it’s a clear violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service, but keeping the original content creators in mind is even more critical.

Some people and companies post online videos to share content, but others are trying to generate income. Videographers, for example, often earn a cut of ad revenue. Ads that start playing before and after videos or popping up at the bottom of videos you’re watching may be annoying, but that’s how content creators make money. That video doesn’t earn advertising income if you download videos to play offline.

You should never download someone else’s video to distribute or earn money, whether it’s a video created just for fun or by a content creator making money. Personal viewing is generally the only reason to downloading videos on YouTube to avoid ethical issues and violations of copyright laws, and that can be done within the YouTube application with a YouTube Premium subscription.

Google doesn’t seem to care much about enforcing this individually, especially for casual downloaders. Still, the company occasionally plays a cat-and-mouse game to try and hamper third-party apps designed for this purpose. That said, let’s look at how to download YouTube videos on PC, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Mac from anywhere in the world, totally free, outside of YouTube Premium.

Note: The following suggested tools and methods are subject to change if and when we find better, safer tools for downloading YouTube videos. At this time, we don’t recommend any third-party downloader websites for downloading YouTube videos because we’ve found that most of them usually get overrun with issues like malware eventually. We still recommend a few desktop and mobile apps for downloading YouTube videos legally, as you’ll see below, because, in our experience, they tend to be safer than downloader websites. That said, you should always exercise caution when downloading online videos, installing these apps, and using anti-malware software to scan them to ensure they’re still safe to use on your devices.

How to download YouTube videos with YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium is a subscription service that, among other things, lets you download your favorite YouTube videos to your smartphone directly inside the app. Aside from offering ad-free video viewing and offline downloads within the app, it also includes access to YouTube Music, a separate music streaming service. This will set you back around $14 per month unless you qualify for the $8/month student plan. You can also share a family plan with up to five members of your household for a single $23 monthly subscription — as long as they’re all members of your Google family group.

If you’ve never signed up before, you can try try YouTube Premium trial version for one month. You can also sign up through the iOS YouTube application. Still, we don’t recommend that as Google charges around 30-35% more on the App Store to account for Apple’s additional fees — an individual subscription through the YouTube application costs about $19. At the same time, you can get the same plan directly from Google for $14.

How to download YouTube videos on your PC

YouTube videos may be easily downloaded on a desktop or laptop using several applications and websites. Using specialized software programs or YouTube video downloaders are two common approaches. Remember the moral and legal ramifications of downloading YouTube videos, and make sure you abide by the platform’s terms of service.

In the vast realm of online entertainment, YouTube reigns supreme with its diverse array of videos, from educational content to the latest music releases. While streaming is the norm, having the ability to download YouTube videos on your PC opens up a world of possibilities for off-the-network. In this guide, we’ll explore various methods, including the use of the YouTube application, browser extensions, and software like open VLC media player, to help you seamlessly download and convert YouTube videos.

Using the YouTube Application to Download a Few Videos:

1. Open the YouTube Application: Launch the YouTube application on your PC and browse for the video you wish to download.
2. Tap Download Button: Look for the download option beneath the video player and tap it to save the video directly within the app. And then you can begin playing the downloaded YouTube videos.
3. Access Offline Videos: Locate your downloaded YouTube videos within the YouTube application, providing instant access even without an internet connection.

YouTube Downloader and Browser Extension:

1. Explore YouTube Downloader: Consider using a dedicated YouTube downloader available online. To download a YouTube video, copy the URL or download links and paste it into the downloader text box, then press enter to initiate the download.
2. Browser Extension Magic: Install a reputable browser extension that simplifies the downloading process. Once installed, navigate to your chosen video, and a download button should appear on the page.

VLC Media Player’s Open Network Stream:

1. Download VLC Media Player: If you don’t have VLC installed, head to their official website or your computer’s app store to download and install it.
2. Copy Video Link: Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to download.
3. Open Network Stream: In VLC, navigate to Media in the menu, choose Open Network Stream, and paste the YouTube video URL.
4. Save Videos Locally: VLC will start playing the video. To save it locally, go to Media again, select Convert/Save, choose your desired destination, and click Play or Start.

Android App from Google Play Store:

1. Explore Android Apps: If you’re looking to download YouTube videos on your PC, you can search Android apps like TubeMate available on the Google Play Store.
2. Tap Download: Using the Android app, paste the video URL and tap the download button to save the video directly to your device.

Use Screen Record to record YouTube videos locally

Since the 2017 release of iOS 11, you can record your iPhone or iPad screen and anything playing on it, including YouTube videos. This method is right on your device, making it accessible and easy to use.

Step 1: Pull the video up on YouTube.

Step 2: Change the orientation to landscape.

Step 3: Swipe up on the Control Center and select the Record button (a circle inside a circle).

Step 4: When the video finishes, select the Record button again to stop recording.

Step 5: Save the video to your Camera Roll or download folder. Then you can open the file and the video starts playing.

Use 4K Video Downloader+

Head over to the 4K Video Downloader+ website, and under the heading 4K Video Downloader+, select the blue Download button corresponding to your computer’s operating system. This YouTube video downloader app is available for Windows, macOS (10.13 or later), and Ubuntu. Once the installer has downloaded, run it to install the app on your computer.

If you don’t have a 4K display, don’t be put off by the name. This is one of the most versatile and simple-to-use download tools available, and it will work with all your files regardless of your computer’s display resolution. The free version of this software can download individual videos at customizable qualities up to 4K and 8K, has support for 3D and 360-degree videos, and can download subtitles.

Step 1: Head to the YouTube video you want to download and copy its URL from the address bar at the top of your browser window. With the YouTube video link locked and loaded in your clipboard, you can close the window or tab of the video.

Step 2: Open up the 4K Video Downloader+ application you installed. There’s no need to paste the YouTube URL here manually — select the Paste link button in the top-left corner of the menu bar, and the software will grab the video URL from your computer’s clipboard.

Step 3: The 4K Video Downloader+ app will take a few moments to process the video. Once it’s done processing and downloading the video, your newly downloaded video will appear in the middle of the app. Mouse over the video, and select the Show in folder file icon that appears. Doing so will open up a web page with the file location of your newly downloaded video.

How to download YouTube videos on your mobile

One option that’s worth a look is Offline. This is an entirely free app with no hidden costs. Instead, it’s lightly ad-supported and not just for YouTube videos. You can also download content from other apps like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and SoundCloud. Files can be saved and played in the app, exported to iCloud, or transferred to your Mac via AirDrop.

The biggest catch is that Offline only saves videos in a maximum resolution of 640×480. That’s not bad for offline viewing on an iPhone, and you can store many videos without taking up too much space. However, it’s not ideal if you want higher-quality videos to show on a bigger screen.

Download a YouTube video on a PC or Mac and transfer it to an iPhone or iPad

There are various apps, both free and paid, that you can use to download YouTube videos on a computer, like 4K Video Downloader+ above. Once downloaded, you’ll need to transfer the videos to your iPhone. While not strictly downloading to your iPhone, it’s still an excellent way to get downloaded videos onto your iPhone or iPad. This method will also work for Android, but the transfer method will differ slightly.

You’ll need to follow the steps about how to download YouTube videos, then transfer them to your iPad or iPhone using AirDrop, or you can save the file to a third-party cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox, or even iCloud, which you can then use to store usable video file on it for offline viewing. Your other option is hooking up your iPad or iPhone to your computer using a Lightning cable and doing the transfer the old-fashioned way.

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