You can download supported YouTube videos on a PC or laptop through YouTube when you have an active YouTube Premium membership. The download gives you an offline copy inside YouTube, so you can open the video later when you do not have an internet connection.
The controls are available from the video page. You may see a Download button below the video title, or you can use the video’s three-dot menu to find it. After the download finishes, YouTube keeps your saved videos together in its Downloads area.
Video Tutorial
What you need before downloading
Open a web browser on your Windows PC, desktop computer, Chromebook, or laptop, then go to YouTube and sign in to the account you use for YouTube Premium. A YouTube Premium membership is required for the download option demonstrated here.
Choose the video you want to keep available offline before you start. The available controls can vary from one video page to another. If you do not immediately see Download below the title, check the three-dot menu on that video page.
Download a YouTube video on your PC or laptop
- Open your preferred browser and go to YouTube.
- Find the video you want to download, then open its video page.
- Scroll below the video title and look for Download.
- Select Download if it is visible below the title.
- If you do not see that button, select the three dots below the video title.
- Select Download from the menu.
- If your browser asks for permission to allow the download, select Allow.
- Wait for YouTube to complete the download.
Once the video has downloaded, open the three-dot menu again. The menu will show Remove from downloads instead of the original download option. That change confirms that the video is in your YouTube downloads.
You can then use YouTube to open the saved video when you are offline. This is useful before a trip, during unreliable internet service, or any time you want a video ready without depending on a live connection.
Find your downloaded YouTube videos later
You do not need to search for the original video every time you want to play a download. YouTube has a dedicated section that lists the videos you saved.
- Open YouTube in your browser.
- Select the three lines in the top-left corner of YouTube.
- Look under the You section.
- Select Downloads.
The Downloads page shows the YouTube videos you downloaded to your computer. Select any video in that list to open it. This is the quickest place to check what you already have available for offline viewing.
If you download more than one video, this page also keeps them in one location. That makes it easier to review your saved videos instead of opening each channel or searching through YouTube again.
Remove a video from your downloads
When you no longer need a downloaded video, you can remove it from YouTube’s downloads list. Removing old downloads helps you keep the list limited to the videos you still plan to watch offline.
- Open the Downloads section from YouTube’s left-side menu.
- Locate the video you want to remove.
- Select the three dots for that video.
- Select Remove from downloads.
You can also recognize a downloaded video from its video page. Open the three-dot menu below the title. If the menu says Remove from downloads, the video is already saved. Select that option only when you want to remove the download.
Quick checklist
To download YouTube videos on PC, open the video, select Download below the title or from the three-dot menu, and approve the browser request if one appears. Make sure you are using YouTube Premium. To play or manage saved videos later, open the three-line menu, choose Downloads under You, then select a video or use its three-dot menu to remove it.
More YouTube Tips & Tutorials:
Subscribe Now! 🙂
Discover more from Gauging Gadgets
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
