Tech

How to Download YouTube Videos to Watch Offline

Downloading YouTube videos allows viewing them on any device, with or without an internet connection, including them in another video (with author’s permission) and much more! It is relatively simple to download videos from the platform – even if the latter does not officially authorize the practice – thanks to online services. In this quick tutorial, we suggest you download your favorite YouTube videos for free in a jiffy, both on PC and on smartphone.

Youtube
Credits: Unsplash

YouTube does not normally allow you to download videos to your computer or smartphone. There is just one exception, limited in its use: the YouTube Premium subscription which allows you to watch the videos of your choice offline. A download that you can only play in the official app. However, downloading a YouTube video can be extremely practical, especially when traveling by plane or when your Internet connection is limited.

Fortunately, there are several alternative methods to free download youtube video to watch it offline later. Some of them, for example, require the use of free services and tools available on the Web. Extensions on different browsers, like the Video DownloadHelper plugin on Mozilla Firefox, also offer similar functionality.

Download YouTube video via YouTube Premium

If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you may not know that you can download any YouTube video on the platform at no additional cost. Note however that this feature is not available on PC, you can only enjoy it on your smartphone/tablet under Android and iOS.

To do this, nothing simpler. Once on the video of your choice, you will see the button “To download”, installed between the “Share” and “Save” buttons. Click on it and choose from the different qualities offered:

  • Low (144p)
  • Medium (360p)
  • High (720p)
  • Full HD (1080p)

Note that the platform does not yet allow you to download your videos in 4K. Once the download is complete, you can find your video in the tab Downloads located in the menu Library accessible via the hamburger menu on PC, or via the shortcuts at the bottom of your screen on a smartphone. Please note that uploaded videos will be automatically deleted by YouTube after 30 days.

Youtube
Credits: YouTube

Download YouTube video with free online services

If you are not a YouTube Premium subscriber, there are several free online services and tools that will allow you to download your favorite YouTube videos. The proposals being extremely numerous, we have chosen two online tools that are easy to use, fast and efficient: OnlineVideoConverter and ClipConverter. The procedure is similar for both sites.

  • Go to the OnlineVideoConverter website and click the left tab “Convert a video link”, either convert a video link in the language of Molière
  • Copy and paste the link of your YouTube video in the input field provided for this purpose
  • Then choose the audio or video format of your choice from .mp4, .mov or .avi
  • Then press the button Start to trigger the conversion process of your video
  • Here, click Download, then on Save file to start downloading your video
online video converter
Credits: Capture Online Video Converter

On ClipConverter, the process remains the same:

  • Copy-paste the link of your YouTube video in the input field
  • Choose between the different qualities available (360p, 720p and 1080p)
  • Then click on audio format or video format of your choice
  • You can if you wish enter an entry and end TimeCode to download only part of the video in question
  • Click on Start to start the process. Note that the operation may take several minutes
clip-converter
Credits: Capture ClipConverter

On Android smartphones, the steps are identical except that you will find your videos in the Downloads application or in the file manager. On iOS, however, you will need to install Documents by Readle from the App Store. This application allows you to easily download files to read them on your iPhone or iPad:

  • Once the app Documents by Readle installed, launch it and click on the blue compass icon located at the bottom right. This will open the in-app internal browser
  • Once this is done, all you have to do is reproduce the processes detailed above
  • You will find your videos in the Downloads folder of the Documents application
  • Note that it is not recommended to change the destination location, otherwise you will encounter problems when reading the files
documents by readdle
Credits: Documents by Readdle

Download a YouTube video using a browser extension

Of course, there are also many extensions on your favorite browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge that allow you to download YouTube videos easily. And these are not the proposals that are missing between VLC Video Downloader, Extension vGet or Save From Net. For our part, we appreciate Download Video Helper for its ease of use. Note that this tool is available on the three browsers mentioned above.

  • Meet in your browser’s extension store in order to download Video Download Helper or directly on the official website
  • Once the installation is complete, the Video Download Helper icon will appear in the upper right corner of your screen
  • Now go to the page of the YouTube video of your choice
  • Click the Video Download Helper icon again to get different video format proposals where to upload your video and proceed to upload
  • Depending on your browser, you will be prompted to install a companion application
video download helper
Credits: Capture Video Download Helper

Of course, there are still many methods to download YouTube videos easily and free. Feel free to share your personal techniques with us in the comments!

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