5 Easy & Fast Ways to Download YT Videos on PC & Mobile

YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, even surpassing Bing, Yahoo, and Ask combined. With over 2 billion active users every month, it’s the go-to platform for tech reviews and quirky tutorials, like “How to Pick Up a Blue Chair Off the Ground,” watched by millions.

While downloading YouTube videos is discouraged by Google due to ad revenue impacts, some people download for personal reasons like backups, offline viewing, or educational purposes. Legality varies by country and depends on usage, but YouTube’s terms prohibit downloading without permission.

Below are the 5 best ways to download YouTube videos:

1. Y2mate

Y2mate is a user-friendly converter for downloading YouTube videos in formats like MP3 and MP4, even up to HD quality. You can also convert videos into audio files. Be cautious of pop-ups, fake versions, and malware.

Here’s how to use Y2mate:

1. Visit YouTube on browsers like Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. Copy the video link you want to download by right-clicking and selecting ‘Copy’.
   

   

2. On your smartphone, you can do this in the YouTube app. The rest is the same.
   

   

3. Go to the Y2mate website, paste the link in the box, and click start.
   

   

4. Choose your preferred format and size. For instance, select 1080p (.mp4) and click download.
   

   

5. A new tab will open. Click “Download .mp4”.
   

   

6. If on a desktop, choose a save location. If steps are followed correctly, the download starts immediately.
   

   

Y2mate also offers conversion to MP3 for audio-specific needs.

2. Savefrom.net

Savefrom.net allows downloading from various sites, including YouTube. Here’s how to do it:

1. Copy the video link from YouTube and paste it into Savefrom.net’s green box.
   

   

2. Click the green Download button.
   

   

3. You can download in limited quality for free, while higher resolutions and MP3 require payment.
4. If satisfied with 720p, click “Just let me download in my browser with low quality”.
   

   

5. Choose format and resolution, then click download. Select the save location and click save.
   

   

3. Open Video Downloader

For PCs (Windows or macOS), Open Video Downloader is a free tool. Find the latest version on GitHub.

↪ How to Install Open Video Downloader

Follow these steps to install Open Video Downloader on Windows & macOS.

1. For Windows:

1. Download “Open-Video-Downloader-Setup-2.5.4.exe” to install, or “Open-Video-Downloader-2.5.4.exe” for a portable version.
   

   

2. Select where to save, and the download begins immediately.
   

   

3. Run the installer to complete installation. Required plugins will be automatically set up.
   

   

2. For macOS:

1. Download “Open-Video-Downloader-2.5.4-universal.dmg“.
   

   

2. Open the file and drag the app icon to the Applications folder.
   

   

3. Open the app using Spotlight or directly from Applications.
   

   

If you encounter a security error on macOS, close it. Then Command + Click the app in Finder, select “Open” to allow the exception.

↪ How to Use Open Video Downloader

Here’s how to use Open Video Downloader to download a YouTube video:

1. Open the app: Use your Windows Start menu or Mac’s Applications folder. Windows users need to double-click the file; Mac users open the app.
   

   

2. Paste the Video’s Link: Right-click or press Ctrl + V in the address bar.
   

   

3. Choose Download Options: Click the “+” button. Select your format and desired quality.
   

   

4. Start the Download: Press the green Download button. The video downloads to your computer.
   

   

5. Wait for Completion: The time depends on internet speed and video size. The completed video is in your Downloads folder or chosen location.

4. SaveFrom.net Helper (Browser Extension)

SaveFrom.net Helper is a browser extension for downloading videos, music, and photos from many websites. Here’s how to use it on YouTube:

1. Install the SaveFrom.net Helper extension from your browser’s store. For this guide, we’re using Firefox.
   

   

2. Open the YouTube video you want. A green arrow appears below the video player. Click it to open SaveFrom.net menu.
   

   

3. Select format and quality in the SaveFrom.net menu. Click download to start the video download.
   

   

You can also download from YouTube playlists or channels by accessing the same green arrow button next to the video title for the entire playlist or channel.

For flawless performance, use SaveFrom.net Helper on other browsers like Firefox. Ensure it’s enabled on YouTube.

5. Seal (Android Only)

Seal Video Downloader is a free and open-source app that lets you download videos and audio files from YouTube with a user-friendly interface.

Steps to use Seal:

Install Seal from F-Droid or GitHub. A QR code is available on F-Droid for download.

1. Open Seal and allow permissions needed like storage access.
   Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want by tapping the share button and choosing “Copy link“.
   
   

   

2. In Seal, paste the URL and tap the download icon. The video details will show.
   

   

3. Select format, quality, resolution, and options for subtitles, metadata, or thumbnail embedding.
4. Tap download. View download progress in the notification bar or Seal’s downloads section.
   
5. Find the video in your device’s storage in the “Seal” folder. Play using your preferred media player.

That’s it! You’ve successfully used Seal to download a YouTube video.