The official way to save a YouTube video for offline viewing is the Download button under the video. It comes with YouTube Premium and, since February 2026, with Premium Lite. In about 125 countries, including India and Nigeria, YouTube also offers free downloads on phones, but not in the US, the UK or Australia (YouTube Help).
Downloaded videos stay inside the YouTube app. You can watch them without a connection, but you can’t move them to your gallery, a USB stick or another app.
Download a video on your phone
With YouTube Premium or Premium Lite:
- Open the video in the YouTube app.
- Tap Download below the player and choose a quality if the app asks.
- To watch it later, tap your profile picture and open Downloads.
To change the default quality, go to Settings, then Background & downloads, then Download quality (downloads help). Premium Lite covers most videos, but not Shorts or music content.
Download a video on a computer
Premium members can also download on youtube.com in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera: open the video and click Download under it. The video plays from the downloads page on youtube.com, not as a file on your computer.
Free downloads in some countries
If you live in one of the countries on YouTube’s list, the Download button appears without Premium on phones. The free version has limits: lower quality (TechRadar reported 360p and 144p), no music content, and you need to reconnect to the internet every 48 hours for the downloads to keep playing (some countries allow 29 days for videos that aren’t music).
How long downloads last
- Premium downloads keep playing as long as your phone connects to the internet at least once every 29 days (48 hours in some regions).
- Downloads are encrypted and only play in the YouTube app.
- You can keep downloads on up to 10 devices at a time (YouTube Help).
- The YouTube app doesn’t download audio or MP3 files (YouTube Help). For offline music, YouTube Music Premium, which is included in YouTube Premium, downloads songs, albums and playlists in the YouTube Music app. Go online at least once every 30 days to keep them (YouTube Music Help). What the free YouTube Music app can and can’t do is in YouTube Music without Premium.
If downloads stop playing, check when the phone was last online. They need that regular reconnect.
Smart downloads
Premium members can let YouTube pick videos for them. Smart downloads adds recommended videos to your downloads about every 7 days, so there is something to watch on a flight even if you forgot to plan. You can switch it off in the downloads settings.
Save a video for later without downloading
If you just want to find a video again, tap Save under it and pick Watch later or a playlist. This works on any account and costs nothing, but you need a connection to play the video.
Downloading your own videos
Creators can download their own uploads in YouTube Studio: open Content, find the video, open the menu and choose Download. You get an MP4 file in 720p or 360p, and each video can be downloaded up to five times in 24 hours. Videos with a copyright strike or a Community Guidelines violation can’t be downloaded this way (YouTube Help). Studio doesn’t offer 1080p, so keep your original file when you upload.
To export every upload at once, use Google Takeout. It exports your YouTube and YouTube Music data, including the videos you uploaded, and nothing is deleted from Google when you download it (Google Account Help).
What about downloader websites?
Sites and apps that save YouTube videos as files are not part of YouTube. Its Terms of Service don’t allow downloading content unless YouTube offers a way to do it or you have permission from YouTube and the rights holder. The Download button in the app is the option YouTube allows.
There is a practical risk too. Engadget reported in September 2026 that many of these sites and extensions are “riddled with adware and spyware,” and that Google has taken most of them down (Engadget). Turning a music video into an MP3 also copies someone else’s recording without a license.
FAQ
Can I save YouTube videos for free?
Yes, in the countries where YouTube offers free downloads on phones. Elsewhere, downloading needs Premium or Premium Lite. Anyone can use Watch later to save a video to watch online.
Can I download YouTube videos to my computer?
With Premium, yes, on youtube.com in a supported browser. The video stays in YouTube’s downloads and doesn’t become a file.
Why did my downloaded videos disappear?
Most often because the device didn’t connect to the internet within 29 days (48 hours in some regions and on the free version).
How much does YouTube Premium cost?
In the US, since April 2026: YouTube Premium $15.99 a month and Premium Lite $8.99 (TechCrunch). Prices differ by country and plan. Our guide on YouTube Premium plans and prices compares them.