YouTube normally does not allow you to download videos to your computer or smartphone. There is only one exception, which is limited to use: YouTube Premium subscription, watch your chosen videos offline. A download that you can only play in the official app. However, downloading a YouTube video can be extremely convenient, especially when traveling by plane or when your Internet connection is limited.
Fortunately, there are several alternative methods download youtube video for free Some require, for example, the use of free services and tools available on the Web. Extensions in different browsers offer similar functionality, such as the Video DownloadHelper add-on in Mozilla Firefox.
Download YouTube video via YouTube Premium
You may not know that if you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you can download any YouTube video on the platform at no additional cost. But note that this feature is not available on PC, you can enjoy it on your smartphone/tablet only under Android and iOS.
To do this, there is nothing simpler. Once on the video you have selected, you will see the “button.download”, It installs 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. After the download is complete, you can find your video in the tab. Downloads is on the menu Library It can be accessed via the hamburger menu on PC or via shortcuts at the bottom of your screen on a smartphone. Please note that uploaded videos will be automatically deleted by YouTube after 30 days.
Download YouTube video with free online services
If you’re not a YouTube Premium subscriber, there are several free online services and tools that will let you download your favorite YouTube videos. Because the offers are huge, we chose 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 on the left tab”Convert a video link”, either convert a video link in Molière language
- Copy and paste the link of your YouTube video into the input field provided for this purpose
- Then choose your desired audio or video format from .mp4, .mov or .avi
- Then press the button Start to trigger the conversion process of your video
- Here, click downloadThen save file to start downloading your video
In ClipConverter the process remains the same:
- Copy-paste link In the input field of your YouTube video
- Choose from different available qualities (360p, 720p and 1080p)
- then click audio format or video format Your choice
- If you wish, you can enter an entry and terminate the TimeCode to download only a portion of the video in question.
- click Start to start the process. Note that the process may take a few minutes.
On Android smartphones, the steps are the same except you find your videos in the Downloads app or file manager. But on iOS you will need to install it Documentation according to Readle from the App Store. This app allows you to: download files easily To read on your iPhone or iPad:
- application once Documentation according to Readle Install it, launch it and click the blue compass icon at the bottom right. This will open the in-app browser
- Once this is done, all you have to do is re-create the processes detailed above.
- You will find your videos at: Downloads folder Documents app
- Note that changing the target location is not recommended, otherwise you will run into problems reading files.
Download a YouTube video using a browser extension
Of course, there are also many extensions that allow you to easily download YouTube videos on your favorite browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. And these are not the offerings that are missing between VLC Video Downloader, Extension vGet or Save From Net. We appreciate on our part Download Video Assistant for ease of use. Note that this tool is available in the three browsers mentioned above.
- find in your browser’s extension repository for download Video Download Assistant or directly Official website
- When the installation is complete, the Video Download Assistant 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 Assistant icon again for get different video format suggestions where to upload your video and continue uploading
- Depending on your browser, you will be prompted to install a utility.
Of course, there are still many methods to download YouTube videos easily and for free. Feel free to share your personal techniques with us in the comments!