{"id":59822,"date":"2021-11-18T20:06:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T14:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=59822"},"modified":"2026-10-08T18:45:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T13:15:57","slug":"download-youtube-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Download YouTube Videos Legally (No YouTube Downloader Needed)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You can download YouTube videos legally, without any third-party YouTube downloader. YouTube has its own Download button, built into the app and website, so there&#8217;s no need to risk sites like savefromnet, y2mate or other &#8220;free YouTube video downloader&#8221; tools that are full of pop-up ads and malware and break YouTube&#8217;s terms. Here&#8217;s how YouTube video download works the official way in 2026, what you need, and its limits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Open the video in the YouTube app (or on youtube.com if you have Premium) and tap the <strong>Download<\/strong> button below it. Choose a quality, and the video is saved in <strong>You &gt; Downloads<\/strong> to watch offline. Full downloads need <strong>YouTube Premium<\/strong> or <strong>Premium Lite<\/strong>; in some countries, including India, YouTube also lets free users download some videos.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-60246\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-youtube-video.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube video download in the YouTube app\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-youtube-video.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-youtube-video-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-youtube-video-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad6eb0bb1571\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad6eb0bb1571\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#How_to_download_YouTube_videos_legally_on_your_phone\" >How to download YouTube videos legally on your phone<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Can_I_download_YouTube_videos_on_my_computer\" >Can I download YouTube videos on my computer?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#YouTube_Premium_vs_Premium_Lite_for_downloads\" >YouTube Premium vs Premium Lite for downloads<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#How_long_do_downloaded_YouTube_videos_last\" >How long do downloaded YouTube videos last?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Can_I_convert_YouTube_to_MP3_or_MP4\" >Can I convert YouTube to MP3 or MP4?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#YouTube_download_settings\" >YouTube download settings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Other_YouTube_Premium_benefits\" >Other YouTube Premium benefits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Is_it_legal_to_download_YouTube_videos\" >Is it legal to download YouTube videos?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Why_cant_I_see_the_Download_button_on_YouTube\" >Why can&#8217;t I see the Download button on YouTube?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Where_are_YouTube_downloads_saved\" >Where are YouTube downloads saved?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/11\/download-youtube-videos\/#Can_I_download_YouTube_videos_without_Premium\" >Can I download YouTube videos without Premium?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_download_YouTube_videos_legally_on_your_phone\"><\/span>How to download YouTube videos legally on your phone<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a> app on Android or iPhone and play the video.<\/li>\n<li>Tap <strong>Download<\/strong> below the video. If you don&#8217;t see it, swipe the row of buttons to the left.<\/li>\n<li>Pick a video quality. Lower quality saves storage space.<\/li>\n<li>Find your saved videos in <strong>You &gt; Downloads<\/strong>, even with no internet connection.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-60240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-download-icon-1024x205.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube download icon\" width=\"530\" height=\"106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-download-icon-1024x205.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-download-icon-300x60.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-download-icon-150x30.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-download-icon-768x154.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-download-icon.jpg 1093w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This is great for watching videos in the metro, on a flight or anywhere with a poor signal. If the Download button is missing or greyed out, the creator may have turned off downloads for that video, or downloads may not be available in your country or on your plan.<\/p>\n<p>You won&#8217;t find the downloaded videos in your phone&#8217;s gallery. They&#8217;re stored in an encrypted format and play only inside the YouTube app.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_download_YouTube_videos_on_my_computer\"><\/span>Can I download YouTube videos on my computer?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yes, if you have YouTube Premium. Premium members see a <strong>Download<\/strong> button under videos on youtube.com in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and other modern browsers. The videos are saved inside the browser to watch offline on youtube.com, not as MP4 files on your hard drive.<\/p>\n<p>You can always download videos you uploaded yourself from <a href=\"https:\/\/studio.youtube.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Studio<\/a>, as real video files.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_Premium_vs_Premium_Lite_for_downloads\"><\/span>YouTube Premium vs Premium Lite for downloads<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/premium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Premium<\/a><\/strong>: ad-free videos, downloads, background play, and YouTube Music Premium included. Works on phones, computers and TV apps.<\/li>\n<li><strong>YouTube Premium Lite<\/strong>: a cheaper plan with ad-free viewing on most videos. In 2026 Google added <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/intl\/en-in\/products\/platforms\/youtube-premium-lite-gets-background-play-and-downloads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">downloads and background play to Premium Lite in India<\/a>, at \u20b989 a month. Music videos and YouTube Music aren&#8217;t included.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check the current prices for your country on the Premium page, as they change and there are student and family plans too.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_do_downloaded_YouTube_videos_last\"><\/span>How long do downloaded YouTube videos last?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Downloads stay available as long as your device reconnects to the internet regularly, about once every 30 days, so YouTube can check your membership and the video is still available. If a creator removes a video, or your Premium subscription ends, the download stops working.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_convert_YouTube_to_MP3_or_MP4\"><\/span>Can I convert YouTube to MP3 or MP4?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not legally. YouTube doesn&#8217;t let you save videos or songs as MP3 or MP4 files, and &#8220;YouTube to MP3&#8221; converter sites break YouTube&#8217;s terms and often copyright law too. If you want music offline, YouTube Music Premium (included in YouTube Premium) lets you download songs inside the app.<\/p>\n<p>Prefer classic songs without a subscription? Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2023\/01\/add-songs-saregama-carvaan\/\">Saregama Carvaan<\/a>, a portable player with thousands of preloaded songs, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/09\/listen-free-hindi-music-bollywood-songs-online\/\">listen to Hindi music online<\/a> free.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_download_settings\"><\/span>YouTube download settings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Open <strong>Settings &gt; Background &amp; downloads<\/strong> in the YouTube app to set:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Download quality<\/strong>: choose a default quality, or ask each time. Higher quality looks better but uses more storage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Download over Wi-Fi only<\/strong>: saves your mobile data, as video files can be large.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use SD card<\/strong> (Android): save downloads to a memory card instead of the phone&#8217;s internal storage. If the card is full, YouTube saves to internal storage instead.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recommended downloads<\/strong>: Premium members can let YouTube download suggested videos automatically, or turn this off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"border alignnone wp-image-60245\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/download-youtube-videos.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube download settings\" width=\"399\" height=\"321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/download-youtube-videos.jpg 782w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/download-youtube-videos-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/download-youtube-videos-150x121.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/download-youtube-videos-768x618.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If your connection drops during a download, YouTube pauses it and resumes once you&#8217;re back online. Delete videos you&#8217;ve watched from <strong>You &gt; Downloads<\/strong> to free up space.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content-asset videofit\"><iframe title=\"How to download videos to your phone or tablet | Restrictions apply\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P37Zel8eo3Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_YouTube_Premium_benefits\"><\/span>Other YouTube Premium benefits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Beyond downloads, Premium removes ads on YouTube across your phone, computer and TV, including on streaming devices like Fire TV Stick and Android TV boxes. It also keeps videos playing in the background when you switch apps or lock your phone, and makes YouTube Music and YouTube Kids ad-free.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content-asset videofit\"><iframe title=\"How to get YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M9hMoHHbsT0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Avoid YouTube downloader websites and apps. They break YouTube&#8217;s terms of service, many content creators hold copyright on their videos, and these sites are a common source of malware and scam ads. The official Download button is safer, and it pays creators too.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_legal_to_download_YouTube_videos\"><\/span>Is it legal to download YouTube videos?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, when you use YouTube&#8217;s own Download button in the app or on youtube.com. Using third-party YouTube downloader sites or apps breaks YouTube&#8217;s terms of service.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_cant_I_see_the_Download_button_on_YouTube\"><\/span>Why can&#8217;t I see the Download button on YouTube?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Downloads may not be included in your plan or country, the creator may have turned them off, or the video may be a live stream or made for kids. Update the YouTube app and check again.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_are_YouTube_downloads_saved\"><\/span>Where are YouTube downloads saved?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Inside the YouTube app, under <strong>You &gt; Downloads<\/strong>. They aren&#8217;t saved to your phone&#8217;s gallery or files.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_download_YouTube_videos_without_Premium\"><\/span>Can I download YouTube videos without Premium?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In some countries, including India, YouTube lets free users download some videos to watch offline. Elsewhere, you need YouTube Premium or Premium Lite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can download YouTube videos legally, without any third-party YouTube downloader. YouTube has its own Download button, built into the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":60246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-59822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59822"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63632,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59822\/revisions\/63632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}