How to Download YouTube Videos & Save on PC: 5 Methods

Amanda HendersonByAmanda Henderson Hours Updated

YouTube is a popular video-sharing platform that helps users to watch, like, comment, and upload any videos with ease. It provides one of the best methods to communicate with your audience whether you are promoting products or providing information to students.
Because of network connectivity issues or company/college/ country restrictions, you may not be able to access YouTube videos. YouTube download tool can help you to download videos for later use. Below are ways to download any YouTube Videos for watching it without the internet on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Different methods on how to Download YouTube videos on Mac and Windows:

How to download YouTube Video & Save on Windows PC /Mac: 5 Methods

Method 1: Download iTubeGo YouTube Downloader

iTubeGo is a video downloading tool that enables you to convert and download clips in full HD/4K/8k from YouTube. This tool supports 10,000+ video sites. You can use it to download YouTube videos, playlists, channels, audio, etc. It also enables you to convert Videos of YouTube to most common formats like MP3, MP4, AVI, MOV, and more.


YouTube’s Terms of Service explicitly mention that users shouldn’t download videos, except where YouTube provides a download button or link on that particular video. Moreover, you are not permitted to download or make copies of any copyrighted YouTube Videos. If you get caught doing such activity, you could face some legal troubles like trials or fines. YouTube considers these activities as unauthorized or illegitimate. At Guru99, we never encourage such activities.

Important: You should use these YouTube downloader apps only to download your personal YouTube videos or those with Creative Commons reusable licenses.

Step 1) Download software from https://itubego.com/youtube-downloader/

Method 1: Download iTubeGo YouTube Downloader

Step 2) Install the software.

Step 3) Double click “iTubeGo” shortcut available on Desktop.

Step 4) Click on the “Paste URL” button.

Step 5) You will see the following dialogue box.

  1. Paste the URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-QfL_BmZVE.
  2. Click on the “Download” button to download video files in high quality.

Your video will start downloading.


Step 6) Click on the “Downloaded” button available on the left panel and click on the play button to play the video.

Method 2: Download YouTube videos with Video DownloadHelper Firefox extension.

Video DownloadHelper is a very popular browser extension that enables you to save YouTube videos to a local drive. It provides smart naming of the clips that you are going to save. This free application allows you to control multiple downloads.

NOTE: Chrome no longer allows any extension to facilitate YouTube Video Downloads. Hence, you need to use Firefox or other Browsers.

Step 1) Download Firefox extension from: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/

Video DownloadHelper Firefox extension

Step 2) Open the YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-QfL_BmZVE Let the video play for 1 minute

Step 3) Double click on the DownloadHelper extension icon to open it.

Step 4) Video DownloadHelper supports a wide range of formats, including AVI, WEBM, MP4, and more. This extension also provides you various options for downloading videos like ADP 1280 x 720, 176 x 144 low, ADP 854 x 480 and 480 x 360 medium WEBM, etc.

Click on the desired option to download the video.

Step 5) File will be downloaded to C:\Users\Computer name\dwhelper

Method 3: Download YouTube videos with VLC Player

The VLC is a very popular open-source video player for Windows PC, Mac. This tool can play almost all multimedia file formats as well as Audio CDs, VCDs, and DVDs. The software supports a wide range of audio compression methods.

Step 1) Go to https://www.youtube.com/ and open the video you like to download. Copy the video URL.

Step 2) Double click “VLC media player” shortcut available on Desktop.

Download YouTube videos with VLC Player

Step 3) Go to the Media and click on the ‘Open Network Stream’ option.

Step 4) You will see a page with a text editor.

  1. Paste the copied YouTube video URL you have to download.
  2. Click on the Play button.

Step 5) Go to Tools and click on Codec Information. A new window will open as below.

Copy the information from the location textbox, available at the bottom of the page.

Step 6) Copy-paste the URL into a web browser and press enter. Right-click on the video select ‘save video as’ to store video on your PC.

NOTE: VLC Player will save your video file as 1080p. It does not allow to store any higher resolution, even if the actual YouTube stream is available in 2160p or 1440p. This tool also won’t convert your video to your other preferred format.

How to Download YouTube Video on iPhone

The method of downloading YouTube videos is a bit different based on which Apple OS you are using. If you are using iOS on iPad, iPod touch, or an iPhone, then you will require to follow this method.

On the iOS system, you have to install an app called Documents. It is actually a file manager, but it also enables you to download video clips. The method is a little tricky, but still straightforward.

First, you have to search the clip you like to download in the YouTube application for iOS. After this, tap on the share icon. Now, copy the URL by tapping on the Copy Link icon.

Now open documents and find a web browser icon and tap on it. Paste the address of the YouTube video in the text box, choose your desired quality option, and your clip will start downloading.

When the download is finished, it will appear in the downloads section of Documents. You can drag it over Photos > Camera Roll in order to use it outside Documents 5 app.

Save videos with YouTube Premium

YouTube premium has many impressive features. It has the ability to download videos to watch them offline without any other software. This streaming site also allows you to play music and watch gaming content.

First, start watching a video, then tap the Download button given under the player and then choose quality. Once the video is downloaded from YouTube, you can easily find it in the Account tab or your Library. You must be signed into your Gmail account to watch clips offline.

FAQ

⚡ What Features to look for in YouTube Download Tool?

Here are the important features that you can look for in the YouTube Download tool:

  • Video quality: The converted file should have standard video quality for good viewing. It may range between low, medium, or high. It is better to choose video resolution like 720p, 360p, 1080p, etc.
  • Subtitles: Many people like to watch clips in different languages. In this case, YouTube premium can be used to download clips with subtitles.
  • Batch Downloading: In case if you want to download the entire YouTube channel, it is better that you check the batch downloading feature to save your time.
  • Multiple File Format Compatibility: YouTube video downloader you choose should have various options like MP4, MP3, FLAC, and more. It will give you more flexibility.
  • Built-In Video Editor: Many times, you like to watch songs in the middle of the video. At this point, you require video editing functionality. You may want to view a particular song in the middle of a video or edit out a specific portion of a film. You can try out a converter that comes with a built-in editor.
  • Speed: The software should be able to quickly download and convert any video. The download times must not be highly affected by fluctuations in the wi-fi and internet connectivity.

❓ What Video Quality should I Download?

It is better to download videos of HD quality. For lower quality, you can go for 240p. If you choose to download high-quality videos, then it occupies more space in your hard disk. Users having less disk space can surely select lower quality options.

🏅 What formats can I download YouTube videos in?

The most common video formats for downloading YouTube videos are 3GP, MP4, MOV, AVI, and more. You can choose one of them you like the most. The most common format is MP4.

❗ Is it Legal to Download YouTube Video?

Yes, it is legal to download YouTube videos only for personal use. So, you cannot use it for the commercial or business purpose

💻 Can you download a Private Video with Video Downloader?

No, you cannot watch a private video with video downloaders as they don’t have the same rights as your YouTube account. However, if you want to download the private video, you can use a screen recorder to record the screen.

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