5 Easy & Fast Ways to Download YT Videos on PC & Mobile [2024]

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, bigger than Bing, Yahoo, and Ask combined, and for most of us, it’s our go-to place for anything and everything, whether for a tech review of the latest released gadget or complex tutorials like “How to Pick Up a Blue Chair Off the Ground” (yes, 3.1 million people needed to learn this skill).

Every minute, hundreds of hours of content are being uploaded to YouTube, and the site has over 2 billion monthly active users. The numbers YouTube boasts are definitely mind-boggling, and why shouldn’t it be? It is not only the most popular video-sharing platform but also the most convenient one.

Today, we will walk you through how to download a YouTube video to store it locally on your device so that you can access it later even without an internet connection. But first things first;

Why Even Download YouTube Videos?

This question is highly subjective, and everyone has their own reason for downloading a specific YouTube video. However, the most common reasons to download a YouTube video could be the following:

• Backup: Having local copies of your favorite videos acts as a backup in case the original content is removed or becomes inaccessible due to unforeseen reasons like copyright claims.

• Offline Viewing: When you’re not connected to the internet, having downloaded videos allows you to watch your favorite content or listen to your favorite music without any interruptions. Whether you’re on a long flight, in a remote area, or simply want to save data, offline viewing is convenient.

• Educational Purposes: Downloading educational videos allows you to learn at your own pace, even when you’re offline. You can revisit tutorials, lectures, or how-to guides without relying on an internet connection.

READ MORE: How to Download A TikTok Video Without Posting It [2024] ➜

Is Downloading YouTube Videos Legal?

Before moving forward with the guide, we would like to give you a disclaimer that Google doesn’t like you downloading YouTube videos via third-party tools as it takes away their ability to show you ads, which generates the major revenue for the platform.

According to YouTube’s terms of service, you’re not supposed to download videos without clear permission from them or the content owner. Yet, the situation isn’t black and white. Laws vary by country, and some may allow downloads for personal use under specific conditions, like fair use or if the video isn’t under copyright protection.

However, it’s a delicate area. Downloading content without authorization could lead to complications with YouTube, potentially even legal issues, depending on where you are and how you use the downloaded video. Generally, if you’re downloading for your own use and not distributing it elsewhere, the risk is lower. But it’s crucial to be aware of your local laws and YouTube’s terms to avoid any problems.

We here at Appuals do not endorse any such copyright violations, and this guide is strictly for educational purposes only. Therefore, we will not be including links to these tools unless hosted on a reputed website.

READ MORE: How to Download Music from YouTube on Mobile & PC [2024] ➜

How to Download YouTube Videos: 5 Best Ways

Below are the 5 best ways to download YouTube videos:

1. Y2mate

Downloading a YouTube video is easy with converter websites like Y2mate. Y2mate lets you download YouTube videos for free in different formats like MP3 and MP4, and even up to HD quality. You can even turn YouTube videos into audio MP3 files. But be careful, Y2mate has some problems like pop-up ads, fake versions, and malware.

Here’s how to use Y2mate:

1. Go to YouTube using any web browser like Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. Copy the link of the video you want to download. You can easily copy the link of any video by just copying its URL while the video is playing in your browser. 
2. Right-click on the URL of the video in the top address bar of your browser and select ‘Copy’,
   
   

   

3. You can do this on your smartphone too, just copy the link from the YouTube app and the rest of the process is the same as below. 
   

   

4. Then, go to the Y2mate website on your browser. Paste the link you copied into the box on the Y2mate site and click start. 
   

   

5. Y2mate will show you all the different formats and sizes available for download. Choose the one you want. For example, we’ll pick the standard 1080p (.mp4) format for this guide. Click the green download button next to it. 
   

   

6. Another tab will pop up, click the green “Download .mp4” button on the tab. 
   

   

7. If you’re using a desktop, you’ll be asked where to save the video. Choose your desired location and click save. The video will immediately start downloading if you do everything right. 
   

   

Y2mate also lets you convert videos to MP3. So, if you just want the audio, like a song, you can do that on the website too.

READ MORE: 6 Ways to Disable YouTube Shorts on Web, Android & iPhone ➜

2. Savefrom.net

Savefrom.net is a website that helps you download videos from different popular sites like YouTube. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Copy the link of the YouTube video you want to download and paste it into the green box on Savefrom.net. 
   

   

2. Click the big green Download button. 
   

   

3. The website will grab your video from the link and let you know when it’s ready to download. But there’s a catch: Savefrom.net charges you if you want to download in higher resolutions or MP3 format, unlike Y2mate.
4. If you’re okay with 720p resolution, click “Just let me download in my browser with low quality” below the big blue Download HD or MP3 button. 
   

   

5. Doing this will give you a limited menu to choose the format and resolution. 
   

   

6. Select your desired resolution and format, like MP4 720p, then click the green download button.
   You’ll be asked to choose where to save your video. After selecting the location and clicking save, your video should start downloading right away if you’ve followed the steps correctly. 
   

   

3. Open Video Downloader

To download videos from YouTube on your computer (Windows or macOS), you can use a free tool called Open Video Downloader. The original version of this tool is not updated anymore, but a new developer is working on it. You can get the latest version from GitHub.

↪ How to Install Open Video Downloader

Follow the steps below to download and install Open Video Downloader on Windows & macOS.

1. For Windows:

1. Click on “Open-Video-Downloader-Setup-2.5.4.exe” to download and install the tool, or
2. Click on “Open-Video-Downloader-2.5.4.exe” to download a version that doesn’t need installation. If you choose this option, you can just open the downloaded file and start using the tool. 
   

   

3. Click on the file type you want to download, and your download should start immediately after you choose where to save the setup. 
   

   

4. Run the downloaded installer to install the Open Video Downloader on your system. The setup will automatically install the program and required plugins. 
   

   

2. For macOS:

1. Click on the link “Open-Video-Downloader-2.5.4-universal.dmg” to download the tool. 
   

   

2. Once downloaded, open the file and drag the app icon into the Applications folder to install it.
   

   

3. Then just open the app and follow the next steps. We used Spotlight search for this.
   

   

If you see a security error on macOS, don’t worry. Just close the warning window, then Command + Click on the app icon in Finder and choose “Open” to make an exception in your security settings.

↪ How to Use Open Video Downloader

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

1. Start the Open Video Downloader app: Find it in your Windows Start menu or in your Mac’s Applications folder. If you’re using Windows, double-click the file you downloaded. For Mac users, just start the app. 
   

   

2. Paste the Video’s Link: Right-click the address bar at the top of the app and choose Paste. If you don’t have a right-click option, press Ctrl + V instead. 
   

   

3. Choose Download Options: Click the “+” button. The app will show you some download choices. Pick the format you want, like Video + Audio. You can also select the video quality. 
   

   

4. Start the Download: Click the green Download button at the bottom of the app. The video will start downloading to your computer. 
   

   

5. Wait for the Download to Finish: Depending on your internet speed and the video size, it might take a while. Keep an eye on the progress bar. When it’s done, you can find the video in your computer’s Downloads folder or wherever you selected it to download.

READ MORE: How to Download The Subtitles of Any YouTube Video ➜

4. SaveFrom.net Helper (Browser Extension)

SaveFrom.net helper is a browser extension that helps users to download videos, music, and photos from various websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, VK, and more. To use it on YouTube, you need to follow these steps:

1. Install the SaveFrom.net helper extension on your browser. Depending on which browser you use, you can find the extension on different websites. For example, for Google Chrome, you can find it on the Chrome Web Store.
2. For Firefox, you can find it on the Firefox Add-ons. For Microsoft Edge, you can find it on the Microsoft Edge Addons. In this guide, we will be using Firefox. 
   

   

3. After installing the extension, go to YouTube and find the video you want to download. You will see a green arrow button below the video player. Click on it to open the SaveFrom.net menu. 
   

   

4. In the SaveFrom.net menu, you can choose the format and quality of the video you want to download. You can also see the file size and the download speed. Click on the download button to start downloading the video to your computer. 
   

   

You can also download videos from YouTube playlists or channels. Just go to the playlist or channel page and click on the green arrow button next to the title. You will see a list of all the videos in the playlist or channel. You can select the ones you want to download and click on the download button.

So, your best bet is to use Savefrom.net Helper on another browser like Firefox as we did in this guide, where it works flawlessly without any hiccups. Just make sure it’s enabled when you’re on YouTube.

READ MORE: How to Play YouTube Videos in the Background on Android ➜

5. Seal (Android Only)

Seal Video Downloader is a free and open-source app that allows you to download videos and audio files from various websites, including YouTube. It has a user-friendly interface that follows the Material You design principles.

Here are the steps to use Seal to download a YouTube video:

Install Seal from F-Droid or GitHub. You can also scan the QR code from this website to download the app.

1. Open Seal and grant the necessary permissions, such as storage access and battery optimization.
   Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to download. You can do this from the YouTube app or website by tapping on the share button and selecting “Copy link“. 
   
   

   

2. Paste the URL into the search bar of Seal and tap on the download icon. Seal will fetch the video information and display it on the screen. 
   

   

3. Tap on the video to open the download options. You can choose the format, quality, and resolution of the video. You can also select whether to embed subtitles, metadata, and thumbnail into the video file.
4. Tap on the download button to start the download process. You can see the progress and status of the download in the notification bar or in the downloads section of Seal. 
   
5. Once the download is complete, you can find the video file in your device’s storage, in the folder named “Seal. You can play the video with any media player app of your choice.

That’s it! You have successfully downloaded a YouTube video using Seal.

READ MORE: What is YouTube ReVanced? and How to Install it? ➜

Conclusion

While all of the apps/software/websites mentioned in this guide work as intended, we would like to recommend Y2mate for downloading YouTube videos. It works on every device with a compatible browser installed, and the process to download a YouTube video using Y2mate is pretty straightforward as well.

We hope you found what you were looking for in this comprehensive guide. Feel free to reach out with any questions by leaving a comment below!