How to Download YouTube Videos on Mobile or Desktop

YouTube Premium subscribers can download videos on YouTube.

Advertisement
By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 26 September 2021 10:30 IST
Highlights
  • YouTube videos are subject to download based on creator restrictions
  • Private videos on YouTube cannot be downloaded
  • Downloaded videos can be found in the Library section of YouTube app

YouTube paid subscribers can download on desktop till 1080p quality

YouTube allows users to download videos for offline viewing but there are a few caveats. Indian users (and those in some other regions) can download YouTube videos on their smartphones easily with YouTube's download option. For free users, this is limited to 720p resolution, and the files are available for 48 hours. Premium users can download the videos at full resolution. But while YouTube downloads were officially limited to mobile users, the streaming platform recently added a feature for offline mode on Desktop too. The only catch is that this feature is limited to Premium users. However not all videos can be downloaded — ones that are set to private viewing are not downloadable and there is also an option for offline viewing that can be disabled by content creators.

How to download YouTube videos on mobile

While YouTube Premium membership allows for downloading content for offline viewing, there are a few videos that users can download outside of the paid membership as well. These videos will be available offline for up to 48 hours only. After that, you'll need to reconnect your device to a mobile or Wi-Fi network every 48 hours. Reconnecting will allow the app to check for changes to the video or its availability. There are only a few locations in the world where downloading videos is available. India is included in the list, and you check for supported regions on this page. Follow the steps below to download YouTube videos on Android or iOS:

Advertisement
  1. Open YouTube app and go to the video you wish to download.
  2. Click on the three-dot icon placed below the video. Click on Download Video.
  3. Once the download is completed, users can find it in Library > Downloads.
  4. If you want to change the download quality, head to Settings by clicking on the profile tab and then click on Downloads. Tap on Download Quality and choose from the available options. While Premium users get the ability to download in higher resolutions, free users can download till 720p quality.

How to download YouTube videos on desktop

Very recently, YouTube introduced the ability to let desktop browser users download videos for offline viewing. The Google-owned platform says the feature will only be supported in computers with the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, or Opera browsers. Unlike mobile, this feature is only available to Premium users on desktop. To download a video on desktop, follow the simple steps below:

  1. Open YouTube on your browser. Ensure that your browser is updated to the latest version.
  2. Go to the video that you wish to view offline, click on the three dots menu at the bottom of the video. Click on Download.
  3. Once the video is downloaded, you can find it in the hamburger menu in the left, in the Downloads section.
  4. To choose download quality, head to Settings > Downloads. YouTube Premium users can download up full-HD (1080p) quality.

What are the best phones of 2021? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. GTA 6 Pre-Orders Will Begin Next Week, Rockstar Games Confirms
  2. This Upcoming OnePlus N6 Could Arrive With This MediaTek Chip in India
  3. Carl Pei Tells Apple 'I'm Gonna Steal Your Customers' in Latest Video
  4. Vivo X Fold 6 Battery, Durability Details Teased Days Ahead of Debut
  5. Google Home Speaker Finally Makes Its Global Debut, Available to Pre-Order
  6. Unreal Engine 6 Comes With Claude, Gemini Models to Speed Up Game Development
  7. Xiaomi India CMO Anuj Sharma Steps Down After 8 Years
  8. Xiaomi Wants a Bigger Space in Your Home: Large Appliance Push Confirmed
  9. Amazon Prime Day Sale Dates Announced, Drops Prime Membership Price
  10. JBL Live 780NC, Live 680NC Debut in India With Up to 80-Hour Battery Life
  1. Honor 600 Smart 5G With 7,700mAh Battery Listed on French Website, Could Launch Soon: Price, Features
  2. Rockstar Games Confirms GTA 6 Pre-Orders Will Begin June 25, Reveals New Cover Art
  3. Oppo Enco Air 5 India Launch Teased; Amazon Availability Confirmed
  4. Huawei FreeBuds 7i, FreeBuds SE 4 ANC Launched in India With Up to 50 Hours of Total Battery Life: Price, Features
  5. Aztec Hit With Second Security Breach, Days After Hackers Used Exploit to Steal $2.19 Million
  6. FilterCopy’s For The Real Me Season 1 Now on Instagram: Know Everything About This Micro-Drama Reel Series
  7. Narwal S20, S20 Pro, S30 Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaners With Up to 20,000Pa Suction Launched in India:Price, Features
  8. Oppo Reno 16 Series Launch Date in Indonesia, Malaysia Announced as Pre-Orders Begin
  9. Vivo Y6e 5G Launched With 6,500mAh Battery, Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC: Price, Specifications
  10. Tether to Cease Operations of Gold-Linked aUSDT Stablecoin
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.