How to legally download YouTube videos

YouTube has introduced many user-friendly features over the years, whether it’s the “Skip Forward” button that allows you to quickly skip sponsored segments, or the mobile update of timestamped comments, which makes them appear at the top of the stack when the relevant point in the video is played. However, like many of its fellow video sharing platforms, YouTube does not allow users to fully upload videos, leaving only one legal option to do so. And while the YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red) rollout came with the promise of download functionality, there’s a big problem with that option.

Downloadable videos have long been a feature of YouTube Premium, although they were previously locked to the mobile version. Fortunately, after YouTube tested video downloads on computers in 2020, the feature is now available on various YouTube platforms. On the less fortunate side, those looking to use this feature to upload videos for creative purposes, such as to edit them into a different video (as is common practice for comment and reaction channels), will be disappointed, as videos uploaded this way can only be used within the app.

Using YouTube Premium’s download feature is quick and easy, and you can download any video with YouTube Premium or download almost any video with YouTube Premium Lite (although Lite doesn’t let you download short films or music content). The process is the same on mobile and desktop: simply click on the three dots to the right of the As, AversionAnd Share buttons. From there, simply select the Download option, and your video will start downloading.

Uploading a video through YouTube Premium sends it to the Uploads section of your YouTube account, available in the left menu on desktop and at the bottom of the Library section on mobile (under “Recent” and any playlists you’ve created). It’s worth noting that your uploaded videos are only in-app; you do not receive a video file downloaded to your device. Additionally, downloads are not the same on all devices, whether or not you use the same account. So, for example, videos you downloaded on mobile will not automatically be downloaded on computer. YouTube tested a way to sync uploads across devices in 2018, but it never came to fruition.

YouTube’s download feature offers the benefit of offline viewing, but is otherwise not ideal when it comes to video downloads. Not only do you lose these downloads when you lose your subscription, but they are also only available offline for 29 days. After that, you will need to reconnect your device to the Internet to restart this timer and make it available offline again. While most users will likely stay logged in all the time, this highlights the biggest drawback: you can’t transfer these videos outside of the app. You don’t receive a video file that you can edit or transmit to other devices, just the ability to view a video offline.

Additionally, there are very few alternatives to downloading YouTube videos. There are YouTube video downloaders online, where you can insert a link to a video and receive a downloadable file in return, but many of them are riddled with adware and spyware. You will also be circumventing Google’s platform rules, which are completely against this practice. Historically, there have been some spyware-free sites kept afloat thanks to donations, but Google has taken down most of them – and delving into the sketchy sites that remain is not recommended. YouTube’s Terms of Service (under Permissions and Restrictions) prohibit such uploads, or the use of screen recordings in videos, without the permission of the rights holder, YouTube and/or any applicable law.