🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 174 (from laksa048)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa174.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.popsci.com/diy/download-youtube-video/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.popsci.com/diy/download-youtube-video/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/download-youtube-video\/","crawl_time":1775365991,"first_indexed_time":1691066609,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,popsci!www,\/diy\/download-youtube-video\/ s443","src_root_hash":"1151996776091235174","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How to download YouTube videos | Popular Science","meta_descriptions":["When you want to download a YouTube video, you'll find a lot of options online but not all of them are trustworthy. This is the only official way."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"For when you just want to watch Peppa Pig on an airplane, or something.\nCharlesdeluvio \/ Unsplash\nGet the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\nWhen you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the\nYouTube terms of service\n, we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable.\nIf you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down $14 a month for\nYouTube Premium\n.\nThat might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music.\nDownload YouTube videos to a computer\nThe only official way to download a YouTube video is to use YouTube Premium. David Nield for Popular Science\nWhen you’re using\nYouTube\nin Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a\nDownload\nbutton underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos.\nYou’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the\nthree dots\nnext to any video to find a\nDownload\noption there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the\nthree dots\nnext to any clip.\n[Related:\nHow to navigate YouTube videos like a pro\n]\nTo see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to\nwww.youtube.com\/feed\/downloads\n(you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the\nYouTube logo\nin the top left corner and choose\nDownloads\nfrom the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the\nthree dots\nnext to it, then choose\nRemove from downloads\n.\nClick\nDownload settings\n(top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you.\nYour\nbrowser of choice\nwill cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube.\nHow to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet\nThe YouTube app has you covered for downloads on a phone or tablet. David Nield for Popular Science\nA similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for\nAndroid\nand\niOS\n. When you’re browsing through videos on the\nHome\ntab, you can tap on the\nthree dots\nnext to any clip to find a\nDownload video\noption, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a\nDownload\nbutton there you can use as well.\nWhen you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick\nDownload video\nto save it to your phone.\nAs on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the\nLibrary\ntab and choose\nDownloads\n.\n[Related:\nHow to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face”\n]\nTo remove a video, go to the\nDownloads\nscreen, tap the\nthree dots\nnext to a video, and then hit\nDelete from downloads\n. If you want to manage download settings, tap the\nthree dots\nup in the top right corner of that screen and then hit\nSettings\n—there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up.\nOn Android, there’s also a toggle switch for\nSmart downloads\n, and an\nAdjust smart downloads\noption for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection.\n \n2025 PopSci Best of What’s New\nThe 50 most important innovations of the year\n ","attrs_markdown":"**🛍️ [Amazon Big Spring Sale: 100+ editor-approved deals worth buying right now](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/gear\/best-deals-amazon-big-spring-sale-2026\/) 🛍️**\n\n[![Popular Science Logo](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/)\n\n[![Popular Science Logo](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/)\n\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/science\/)\n  - [Archaeology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/archaeology\/)\n  - [Ask Us Anything](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/ask-us-anything\/)\n  - [Biology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/biology\/)\n  - [Dinosaurs](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/dinosaurs\/)\n  - [Physics](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/physics\/)\n  - [Popular Science Videos](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/popular-science-videos\/)\n  - [Space](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/space\/)\n  - [The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week\/)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/)\n  - [AI](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/ai\/)\n  - [Aviation](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/aviation\/)\n  - [Engineering](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/engineering\/)\n  - [Internet](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/internet\/)\n  - [Military](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/military\/)\n  - [Photography](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/photography\/)\n  - [Robots](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/robots\/)\n  - [Security](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/security\/)\n  - [Best of What's New](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/gear\/best-of-whats-new-2025\/)\n  - [Vehicles](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/vehicles\/)\n- [Environment](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/environment\/)\n  - [Agriculture](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/agriculture\/)\n  - [Animals](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/animals\/)\n  - [Climate Change](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/climate-change\/)\n  - [Conservation](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/conservation\/)\n  - [Energy](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/energy\/)\n  - [Sustainability](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/sustainability\/)\n  - [Weather](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/weather\/)\n- [DIY](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/diy\/)\n  - [Life Skills](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/life-skills\/)\n  - [Projects](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/projects\/)\n  - [Tech Hacks](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/tech-hacks\/)\n- [Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gear\/)\n  - [Audio](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/audio\/)\n  - [Cameras](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/cameras\/)\n  - [Computers](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/computers\/)\n  - [Fitness Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/fitness-gear\/)\n  - [Gaming](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gaming\/)\n  - [Gift Guides](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gift-guides\/)\n  - [Home](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/home\/)\n  - [Home Theater](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/home-theater\/)\n  - [Outdoor Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/outdoor-gear\/)\n  - [Phones](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/phones\/)\n  - [Tablets](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/tablets\/)\n  - [Wearables](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/wearables\/)\n- [MERCH](https:\/\/store.popsci.com\/)\n  - [Cover Art](https:\/\/popularscienceprints.com\/)\n  - [Store](https:\/\/store.popsci.com\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/email-signup\/)\n\n[DIY](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/diy\/) [Tech Hacks](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/tech-hacks\/)\n\n# How to download YouTube videos to watch offline\nSome places that claim to help you download YouTube videos may be sketchy, and there's only one official way.\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\nPublished  Aug 3, 2023 8:10 AM EDT\n\n[Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=popsci.com)\n\nAdding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.\n\n![The YouTube mobile app on a phone, with a Peppa Pig video queued up to download or watch.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/03\/Download-YouTube-Video.jpeg?quality=85&w=2000)\n\nFor when you just want to watch Peppa Pig on an airplane, or something.   Charlesdeluvio \/ Unsplash\n\n## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\n\n[Terms of Service](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/) and [Privacy Policy.](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n\nWhen you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the [YouTube terms of service](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/static?template=terms), we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable.\n\nIf you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down \\$14 a month for [YouTube Premium](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/premium).\n\nThat might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music.\n\n## Download YouTube videos to a computer\n![The YouTube Premium downloads page on Google Chrome for desktop.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/03\/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Computer.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85)\n\nThe only official way to download a YouTube video is to use YouTube Premium. David Nield for Popular Science\n\nWhen you’re using [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/) in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a **Download** button underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos.\n\nYou’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the **three dots** next to any video to find a **Download** option there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the **three dots** next to any clip.\n\n**\\[Related: [How to navigate YouTube videos like a pro](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/youtube-navigation-tips\/)\\]**\n\nTo see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to [www.youtube.com\/feed\/downloads](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/feed\/downloads) (you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the **YouTube logo** in the top left corner and choose **Downloads** from the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the **three dots** next to it, then choose **Remove from downloads**.\n\nClick **Download settings** (top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you.\n\nYour [browser of choice](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/diy\/best-alternative-browsers\/) will cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube.\n\n## How to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet\n![The YouTube app on a phone, showing all downloaded videos.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/03\/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Phone.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85)\n\nThe YouTube app has you covered for downloads on a phone or tablet. David Nield for Popular Science\n\nA similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for [Android](https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details\/YouTube?id=com.google.android.youtube) and [iOS](https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/youtube-watch-listen-stream\/id544007664). When you’re browsing through videos on the **Home** tab, you can tap on the **three dots** next to any clip to find a **Download video** option, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a **Download** button there you can use as well.\n\nWhen you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick **Download video** to save it to your phone.\n\nAs on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the **Library** tab and choose **Downloads**.\n\n**\\[Related: [How to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face”](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/youtube-face-dearrow\/)\\]**\n\nTo remove a video, go to the **Downloads** screen, tap the **three dots** next to a video, and then hit **Delete from downloads**. If you want to manage download settings, tap the **three dots** up in the top right corner of that screen and then hit **Settings**—there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up.\n\nOn Android, there’s also a toggle switch for **Smart downloads**, and an **Adjust smart downloads** option for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection.\n\n![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300)\n\n### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New\nThe 50 most important innovations of the year\n\n[See it](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/gear\/best-of-whats-new-2025\/)\n\n[![David Nield Avatar](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-07-at-3.59.11-PM.png?quality=85&w=102&h=102&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n## [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n### Contributor, DIY\n\nDavid Nield produces how-to guides and explainers on everything from [improving your smartphone photos](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/take-better-smartphone-photos\/) to [boosting the security of your laptop](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/laptop-warning-signs\/).\n***\n\n- [Internet](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/internet\/)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/)\n\n## Trending\n[![Ants are eating onion on the kitchen tile floor.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ant_myths.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/environment\/how-to-keep-ants-out-of-your-house\/)\n\n[Insects](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/insects\/)\n\n[3 myths about keeping ants out of your house](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/environment\/how-to-keep-ants-out-of-your-house\/)\n\nBy [Justin Pot](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/justin-pot\/)\n\n[![A wide-angle photograph shows a woman sleeping on her side in a large bed, tucked under a heavy, rumpled white duvet. Her head rests on a white pillow, and her face is partially illuminated by warm morning sunlight streaming through the slats of a window. The room has a minimalist aesthetic with light-colored wooden paneled walls and soft, high-contrast lighting that creates long shadows across the bed.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/best-sleep-position.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/health\/best-sleep-position\/)\n\n[Health](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/health\/)\n\n[The best sleep position, according to science](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/health\/best-sleep-position\/)\n\nBy [Laura Kiniry](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/laura-kiniry\/)\n\n## More in Tech Hacks\n[![Smartphone-on-desk-with-youtube-logo-on-screen](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/24\/Smartphone-on-desk-with-youtube-logo-on-screen.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/youtube-navigation-tips\/)\n\n[How to only watch the best bits and other tricks to upgrade your YouTube experience](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/youtube-navigation-tips\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![Person with earbuds and eyes closed](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/25\/Person-with-earbuds-and-eyes-closed.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/find-zero-play-music-videos\/)\n\n[How to find music and videos with zero plays—and discover the next big thing](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/find-zero-play-music-videos\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![Person frowning looking at computer](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/26\/Person-frowning-looking-at-computer.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/edit-google-ad-settings\/)\n\n[Here’s what Google knows about you—and how to change it](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/edit-google-ad-settings\/)\n\nBy [Sandra Gutierrez G.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/sandra-gutierrez-g\/)\n\n[![laptop showing broken website on google chrome](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19\/laptop-showing-broken-website-on-google-chrome.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/fix-browser-tips\/)\n\n[5 steps to solve the most common browser problems](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/fix-browser-tips\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![A close-up of a hand holding a TV remote with an out-of-focus TV screen in the background.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/22\/Use-Google-Watchlist.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/use-google-watchlist\/)\n\n[Use this little-known Google feature to bookmark every movie you want to watch](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/use-google-watchlist\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![The user interface for Netflix on a computer in a browser window.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/08\/GBV2VMNN27L4YN326HQMGSXYBU.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/find-movies-tv-shows-faster\/)\n\n[How to find where your favorite movies and shows are streaming](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/find-movies-tv-shows-faster\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![A close-up of Reddit in the Google Chrome browser on a laptop.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20\/Reddit-Tips.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/reddit-tips-tricks\/)\n\n[Custom feeds and other tricks to make you a better Redditor](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/reddit-tips-tricks\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![Google Chrome on incognito mode](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/28\/person-talking-on-phone-browsing-laptop-on-icognito-mode.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/incognito-mode-on-every-app\/)\n\n[How to go incognito on these 6 popular apps](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/incognito-mode-on-every-app\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/tech-hacks\/)\n\n## More in DIY\n[![Hand writing on notebook](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/12\/Hand-writing-on-notebook.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/how-to-improve-handwriting\/)\n\n[How to improve your handwriting](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/how-to-improve-handwriting\/)\n\nBy [Sandra Gutierrez G.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/sandra-gutierrez-g\/)\n\n[![A woman cheering while sitting on a brown couch and watching a hockey game on a large flat-screen TV](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/03\/JJMVVE5CCFBVZGPTBNRDHSMMAM.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/watch-online-videos-with-friends\/)\n\n[How to watch TV with friends—even when you can’t be together](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/watch-online-videos-with-friends\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![Person watching TV and eating popcorn in bed](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/14\/Person-watching-TV-and-eating-popcorn-in-bed.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/create-watchlists-on-streaming-apps\/)\n\n[How to create and curate your watchlists on any streaming platform](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/create-watchlists-on-streaming-apps\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![Hand under a go pro camera hanging in the air](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/24\/Hand-under-a-go-pro-camera-hanging-in-the-air.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/gopro-tips-tricks\/)\n\n[Get better video with these 7 GoPro tips and tricks](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/gopro-tips-tricks\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![A person using a laptop while another person points at the screen.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/17\/Remote-Tech-Support.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/give-tech-support-remotely\/)\n\n[How to troubleshoot tech problems remotely](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/give-tech-support-remotely\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![An Amazon delivery man putting an Amazon package on a porch in front of a door during the daytime.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/16\/delivery-man-putting-amazon-package-on-porch.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/amazon-tips-save-time-money\/)\n\n[19 Amazon tips to save you time and money](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/amazon-tips-save-time-money\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![A person with their phone connected to their laptop, maybe to share a large file with someone.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/26\/Share-Big-Files.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/share-huge-files-online\/)\n\n[How to share huge files online](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/share-huge-files-online\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[![hands on keyboard of laptop with google on the screen](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/12\/hands-on-keyboard-of-laptop-with-google-on-the-screen.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/how-to-use-chrome-journeys\/)\n\n[The latest Google Chrome feature can make online research easier](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/how-to-use-chrome-journeys\/)\n\nBy [David Nield](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/david-nield\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/diy\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/28\/popsci_logo-horizontal-white.svg?quality=85&w=128&h=28&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/)\n\n## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\n\n[Terms of Service](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/) and [Privacy Policy.](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n\n- [Editorial Standards](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/editorial-standards\/)\n- [How We Test and Review Products](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/product-testing-and-review-guidelines\/)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/about-us\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/contact\/)\n\n- [TV Channel](https:\/\/underknown.com\/popularscience\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n- [Terms & Conditions](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/)\n- [Affiliate Disclosure](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/affiliate-disclosure\/)\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/sitemap\/)\n- [Deposit Photos](https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=138113X1700773&isjs=1&jv=15.7.1&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsci.com%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdepositphotos.com%2F&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=8b0cd3c294016e919484397db9a10f62&xcust=5peiZeEsEiJ6EMmspVrAAol&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D)\n## FOLLOW US\n### DISCLAIMER(S)\nArticles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.  \n   \n © 2026 [Recurrent](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/). All rights reserved.  \n   \n [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information]().\n\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/science\/)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/)\n- [Environment](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/environment\/)\n- [DIY](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/diy\/)\n- [Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gear\/)\n- [Merch](https:\/\/store.popsci.com\/)\n- [SHOP](https:\/\/shop.popsci.com\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"![The YouTube mobile app on a phone, with a Peppa Pig video queued up to download or watch.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/03\/Download-YouTube-Video.jpeg?quality=85&w=2000)\n\nFor when you just want to watch Peppa Pig on an airplane, or something.   Charlesdeluvio \/ Unsplash\n\n## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\n\nWhen you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the [YouTube terms of service](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/static?template=terms), we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable.\n\nIf you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down \\$14 a month for [YouTube Premium](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/premium).\n\nThat might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music.\n\n## Download YouTube videos to a computer\n![The YouTube Premium downloads page on Google Chrome for desktop.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/03\/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Computer.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85)\n\nThe only official way to download a YouTube video is to use YouTube Premium. David Nield for Popular Science\n\nWhen you’re using [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/) in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a **Download** button underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos.\n\nYou’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the **three dots** next to any video to find a **Download** option there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the **three dots** next to any clip.\n\n**\\[Related: [How to navigate YouTube videos like a pro](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/youtube-navigation-tips\/)\\]**\n\nTo see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to [www.youtube.com\/feed\/downloads](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/feed\/downloads) (you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the **YouTube logo** in the top left corner and choose **Downloads** from the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the **three dots** next to it, then choose **Remove from downloads**.\n\nClick **Download settings** (top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you.\n\nYour [browser of choice](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/diy\/best-alternative-browsers\/) will cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube.\n\n## How to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet\n![The YouTube app on a phone, showing all downloaded videos.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/03\/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Phone.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85)\n\nThe YouTube app has you covered for downloads on a phone or tablet. David Nield for Popular Science\n\nA similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for [Android](https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details\/YouTube?id=com.google.android.youtube) and [iOS](https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/youtube-watch-listen-stream\/id544007664). When you’re browsing through videos on the **Home** tab, you can tap on the **three dots** next to any clip to find a **Download video** option, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a **Download** button there you can use as well.\n\nWhen you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick **Download video** to save it to your phone.\n\nAs on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the **Library** tab and choose **Downloads**.\n\n**\\[Related: [How to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face”](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/diy\/youtube-face-dearrow\/)\\]**\n\nTo remove a video, go to the **Downloads** screen, tap the **three dots** next to a video, and then hit **Delete from downloads**. If you want to manage download settings, tap the **three dots** up in the top right corner of that screen and then hit **Settings**—there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up.\n\nOn Android, there’s also a toggle switch for **Smart downloads**, and an **Adjust smart downloads** option for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection.\n\n![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300)\n\n### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New\nThe 50 most important innovations of the year","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

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1 day ago

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Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
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First Indexed	2023-08-03 12:43:29 (2 years ago)
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Meta Title	How to download YouTube videos \| Popular Science
Meta Description	When you want to download a YouTube video, you'll find a lot of options online but not all of them are trustworthy. This is the only official way.
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Boilerpipe Text	For when you just want to watch Peppa Pig on an airplane, or something. Charlesdeluvio / Unsplash Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. When you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the YouTube terms of service , we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable. If you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down $14 a month for YouTube Premium . That might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music. Download YouTube videos to a computer The only official way to download a YouTube video is to use YouTube Premium. David Nield for Popular Science When you’re using YouTube in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a Download button underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos. You’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the three dots next to any video to find a Download option there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the three dots next to any clip. [Related: How to navigate YouTube videos like a pro ] To see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to www.youtube.com/feed/downloads (you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the YouTube logo in the top left corner and choose Downloads from the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the three dots next to it, then choose Remove from downloads . Click Download settings (top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you. Your browser of choice will cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube. How to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet The YouTube app has you covered for downloads on a phone or tablet. David Nield for Popular Science A similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for Android and iOS . When you’re browsing through videos on the Home tab, you can tap on the three dots next to any clip to find a Download video option, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a Download button there you can use as well. When you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick Download video to save it to your phone. As on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the Library tab and choose Downloads . [Related: How to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face” ] To remove a video, go to the Downloads screen, tap the three dots next to a video, and then hit Delete from downloads . If you want to manage download settings, tap the three dots up in the top right corner of that screen and then hit Settings —there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up. On Android, there’s also a toggle switch for Smart downloads , and an Adjust smart downloads option for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection. 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New The 50 most important innovations of the year
Markdown	🛍️ [Amazon Big Spring Sale: 100+ editor-approved deals worth buying right now](https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-deals-amazon-big-spring-sale-2026/) 🛍️ [![Popular Science Logo](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https://www.popsci.com/) [![Popular Science Logo](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https://www.popsci.com/) - [Science](https://www.popsci.com/category/science/) - [Archaeology](https://www.popsci.com/category/archaeology/) - [Ask Us Anything](https://www.popsci.com/category/ask-us-anything/) - [Biology](https://www.popsci.com/category/biology/) - [Dinosaurs](https://www.popsci.com/category/dinosaurs/) - [Physics](https://www.popsci.com/category/physics/) - [Popular Science Videos](https://www.popsci.com/category/popular-science-videos/) - [Space](https://www.popsci.com/category/space/) - [The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week](https://www.popsci.com/category/weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week/) - [Technology](https://www.popsci.com/category/technology/) - [AI](https://www.popsci.com/category/ai/) - [Aviation](https://www.popsci.com/category/aviation/) - [Engineering](https://www.popsci.com/category/engineering/) - [Internet](https://www.popsci.com/category/internet/) - [Military](https://www.popsci.com/category/military/) - [Photography](https://www.popsci.com/category/photography/) - [Robots](https://www.popsci.com/category/robots/) - [Security](https://www.popsci.com/category/security/) - [Best of What's New](https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-of-whats-new-2025/) - [Vehicles](https://www.popsci.com/category/vehicles/) - [Environment](https://www.popsci.com/category/environment/) - [Agriculture](https://www.popsci.com/category/agriculture/) - [Animals](https://www.popsci.com/category/animals/) - [Climate Change](https://www.popsci.com/category/climate-change/) - [Conservation](https://www.popsci.com/category/conservation/) - [Energy](https://www.popsci.com/category/energy/) - [Sustainability](https://www.popsci.com/category/sustainability/) - [Weather](https://www.popsci.com/category/weather/) - [DIY](https://www.popsci.com/category/diy/) - [Life Skills](https://www.popsci.com/category/life-skills/) - [Projects](https://www.popsci.com/category/projects/) - [Tech Hacks](https://www.popsci.com/category/tech-hacks/) - [Gear](https://www.popsci.com/category/gear/) - [Audio](https://www.popsci.com/category/audio/) - [Cameras](https://www.popsci.com/category/cameras/) - [Computers](https://www.popsci.com/category/computers/) - [Fitness Gear](https://www.popsci.com/category/fitness-gear/) - [Gaming](https://www.popsci.com/category/gaming/) - [Gift Guides](https://www.popsci.com/category/gift-guides/) - [Home](https://www.popsci.com/category/home/) - [Home Theater](https://www.popsci.com/category/home-theater/) - [Outdoor Gear](https://www.popsci.com/category/outdoor-gear/) - [Phones](https://www.popsci.com/category/phones/) - [Tablets](https://www.popsci.com/category/tablets/) - [Wearables](https://www.popsci.com/category/wearables/) - [MERCH](https://store.popsci.com/) - [Cover Art](https://popularscienceprints.com/) - [Store](https://store.popsci.com/) - [Newsletter](https://www.popsci.com/email-signup/) [DIY](https://www.popsci.com/category/diy/) [Tech Hacks](https://www.popsci.com/category/tech-hacks/) # How to download YouTube videos to watch offline Some places that claim to help you download YouTube videos may be sketchy, and there's only one official way. By [David Nield](https://www.popsci.com/authors/david-nield/) Published Aug 3, 2023 8:10 AM EDT [Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab)](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=popsci.com) Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. ![The YouTube mobile app on a phone, with a Peppa Pig video queued up to download or watch.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/03/Download-YouTube-Video.jpeg?quality=85&w=2000) For when you just want to watch Peppa Pig on an airplane, or something. Charlesdeluvio / Unsplash ## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. [Terms of Service](https://recurrent.io/terms-and-conditions/) and [Privacy Policy.](https://recurrent.io/privacy-policy/) When you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the [YouTube terms of service](https://www.youtube.com/static?template=terms), we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable. If you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down \$14 a month for [YouTube Premium](https://www.youtube.com/premium). That might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music. ## Download YouTube videos to a computer ![The YouTube Premium downloads page on Google Chrome for desktop.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/03/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Computer.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85) The only official way to download a YouTube video is to use YouTube Premium. David Nield for Popular Science When you’re using [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/) in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a Download button underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos. You’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the three dots next to any video to find a Download option there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the three dots next to any clip. \[Related: [How to navigate YouTube videos like a pro](https://www.popsci.com/diy/youtube-navigation-tips/)\] To see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to [www.youtube.com/feed/downloads](https://www.youtube.com/feed/downloads) (you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the YouTube logo in the top left corner and choose Downloads from the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the three dots next to it, then choose Remove from downloads. Click Download settings (top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you. Your [browser of choice](https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/best-alternative-browsers/) will cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube. ## How to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet ![The YouTube app on a phone, showing all downloaded videos.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/03/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Phone.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85) The YouTube app has you covered for downloads on a phone or tablet. David Nield for Popular Science A similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details/YouTube?id=com.google.android.youtube) and [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube-watch-listen-stream/id544007664). When you’re browsing through videos on the Home tab, you can tap on the three dots next to any clip to find a Download video option, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a Download button there you can use as well. When you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick Download video to save it to your phone. As on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the Library tab and choose Downloads. \[Related: [How to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face”](https://www.popsci.com/diy/youtube-face-dearrow/)\] To remove a video, go to the Downloads screen, tap the three dots next to a video, and then hit Delete from downloads. If you want to manage download settings, tap the three dots up in the top right corner of that screen and then hit Settings—there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up. On Android, there’s also a toggle switch for Smart downloads, and an Adjust smart downloads option for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection. ![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300) ### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New The 50 most important innovations of the year [See it](https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-of-whats-new-2025/) [![David Nield Avatar](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/08/Screen-Shot-2022-03-07-at-3.59.11-PM.png?quality=85&w=102&h=102&crop=1)](https://www.popsci.com/authors/david-nield/) ## [David Nield](https://www.popsci.com/authors/david-nield/) ### Contributor, DIY David Nield produces how-to guides and explainers on everything from [improving your smartphone photos](https://www.popsci.com/take-better-smartphone-photos/) to [boosting the security of your laptop](https://www.popsci.com/laptop-warning-signs/). *** - [Internet](https://www.popsci.com/category/internet/) - [Technology](https://www.popsci.com/category/technology/) ## Trending [![Ants are eating onion on the kitchen tile floor.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ant_myths.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https://www.popsci.com/environment/how-to-keep-ants-out-of-your-house/) [Insects](https://www.popsci.com/category/insects/) [3 myths about keeping ants out of your house](https://www.popsci.com/environment/how-to-keep-ants-out-of-your-house/) By [Justin Pot](https://www.popsci.com/authors/justin-pot/) [![A wide-angle photograph shows a woman sleeping on her side in a large bed, tucked under a heavy, rumpled white duvet. 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Readable Markdown	![The YouTube mobile app on a phone, with a Peppa Pig video queued up to download or watch.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/03/Download-YouTube-Video.jpeg?quality=85&w=2000) For when you just want to watch Peppa Pig on an airplane, or something. Charlesdeluvio / Unsplash ## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. When you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the [YouTube terms of service](https://www.youtube.com/static?template=terms), we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable. If you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down \$14 a month for [YouTube Premium](https://www.youtube.com/premium). That might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music. ## Download YouTube videos to a computer ![The YouTube Premium downloads page on Google Chrome for desktop.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/03/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Computer.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85) The only official way to download a YouTube video is to use YouTube Premium. David Nield for Popular Science When you’re using [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/) in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a Download button underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos. You’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the three dots next to any video to find a Download option there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the three dots next to any clip. \[Related: [How to navigate YouTube videos like a pro](https://www.popsci.com/diy/youtube-navigation-tips/)\] To see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to [www.youtube.com/feed/downloads](https://www.youtube.com/feed/downloads) (you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the YouTube logo in the top left corner and choose Downloads from the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the three dots next to it, then choose Remove from downloads. Click Download settings (top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you. Your [browser of choice](https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/best-alternative-browsers/) will cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube. ## How to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet ![The YouTube app on a phone, showing all downloaded videos.](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/03/Download-YouTube-Video-to-Phone.jpeg?strip=all&quality=85) The YouTube app has you covered for downloads on a phone or tablet. David Nield for Popular Science A similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details/YouTube?id=com.google.android.youtube) and [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube-watch-listen-stream/id544007664). When you’re browsing through videos on the Home tab, you can tap on the three dots next to any clip to find a Download video option, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a Download button there you can use as well. When you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick Download video to save it to your phone. As on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the Library tab and choose Downloads. \[Related: [How to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face”](https://www.popsci.com/diy/youtube-face-dearrow/)\] To remove a video, go to the Downloads screen, tap the three dots next to a video, and then hit Delete from downloads. If you want to manage download settings, tap the three dots up in the top right corner of that screen and then hit Settings—there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up. On Android, there’s also a toggle switch for Smart downloads, and an Adjust smart downloads option for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection. ![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300) ### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New The 50 most important innovations of the year
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