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How to download YouTube videos to watch offline, the ways YouTube allows

Updated on 1 October 2026

The short answer. Tap Download under the video in the YouTube app. In India many videos download free for offline viewing; the rest, music and computer downloads need YouTube Premium. Downloads stay inside the YouTube app and need a reconnection every 48 hours on the free version. A video you uploaded yourself can be saved as an MP4 from YouTube Studio.

There are four official ways to keep a YouTube video, and which one applies depends on whose video it is and what you want to do with it afterwards.

What you want The official way Cost What you get
Watch someone else's video without internet Download button in the YouTube app Free in India for many videos A copy that plays only inside the YouTube app, for 48 hours at a time
The same, on more videos, on a computer, or for longer Download with YouTube Premium Paid subscription A copy that plays only inside YouTube, for up to 29 days without internet in most places
A file of a video you uploaded YouTube Studio → Download Free An MP4 at 720p or 360p
Every video on your channel at once Google Takeout Free Zip files of your original uploads

Can I download YouTube videos for free in India?

Yes, for many videos. India is one of the countries where YouTube lets signed-in users download videos in the mobile app without Premium. The copy plays only inside the YouTube app for up to 48 hours, then must be renewed online. Some videos show no Download button, and T-Series music has needed Premium in India since 29 October 2020.

On Android or iPhone (the steps are the same in both apps):

  1. Open the YouTube app and sign in. Downloads are not offered when you are signed out.
  2. Open the video. Below the player, tap Download. If you do not see it, tap More (the three dots) and then Download.
  3. Pick a quality if asked. Higher quality takes more storage and more data.
  4. Find it later under You → Downloads. It plays with no internet.
  5. Every 48 hours, connect to Wi-Fi or mobile data once so the app can check the video is still available.

If Download is greyed out or missing, the uploader or the rights holder has not allowed offline viewing for that video in your country. No setting on your side changes that.

What does YouTube Premium add?

YouTube Premium removes the limits of the free version. Members can download almost any video from the YouTube app on a phone and from youtube.com on a computer in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera. Downloads play offline for up to 29 days in most countries before the device has to reconnect, and you choose the default quality in settings.

On a computer:

  1. Go to youtube.com signed in with your Premium account.
  2. Open the video and click Download below it.
  3. Find your downloads under Downloads in the left menu.

On a phone: the same Download button as above, with no 48-hour limit in most places. To set a default quality, go to Settings → Downloads → Download quality.

For songs, YouTube Music Premium downloads music and podcasts inside the YouTube Music app. The phone has to reconnect at least once every 30 days, and podcasts can be downloaded without a membership.

Why can't I find the downloaded video in my gallery?

YouTube stores offline downloads encrypted on your device, and they can only be played in the YouTube app. They do not appear in your gallery, Files app or Photos, and they cannot be copied to a computer, sent on WhatsApp or opened in another player. This applies to free downloads and Premium downloads alike, and it is by design.

How do I download my own YouTube video?

YouTube Studio lets a channel owner download any video they uploaded as an MP4 file, at 720p or 360p depending on the video's size. This is the only official route to an actual video file from YouTube, and it works only on a computer, only for your own channel, and at most five times a day per video.

On a computer:

  1. Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in to the channel that uploaded the video.
  2. Click Content in the left menu.
  3. Point at the video, click the Options menu (the three dots) and choose Download.
  4. The MP4 saves to your Downloads folder at 720p or 360p, depending on the size of the video.

Limits YouTube states: each video can be downloaded at most five times in 24 hours, and the option is missing for videos that were removed, have a copyright or Community Guidelines strike, or use pre-approved audio tracks.

How do I download every video on my channel at once?

Google Takeout exports every video you have uploaded in one go, as zip files you can keep on a computer or a drive. Preparing the export takes from a few minutes to a few days, though most people get the link the same day, and each archive can be downloaded five times within about a week.

  1. Go to takeout.google.com and sign in with the Google account that owns the channel.
  2. Click Deselect all, then tick YouTube and YouTube Music.
  3. Click All YouTube data included and leave only videos ticked, unless you also want comments and playlists.
  4. Click Next step, choose delivery by email link or to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box, choose .zip, and pick a maximum file size from 2 GB to 50 GB. A larger export is split into several files.
  5. Click Create export. When the email arrives, download within about a week; each archive can be downloaded five times.

Is it allowed to use a YouTube downloader website or app?

No. YouTube's Terms of Service say you may not "access, reproduce, download, distribute… or otherwise use" any content except "as expressly authorized by the Service" or with written permission from YouTube and the rights holders. The Download button, Premium, Studio and Takeout are authorised; downloader sites and "YouTube to MP3" converters are not.

The same terms also forbid automated access to YouTube and getting around its restrictions on copying.

Beyond the terms, there are practical reasons to avoid them:

  • Malware and fake buttons. Downloader sites earn money from aggressive advertising, and fake "Download" buttons, notification-permission prompts and bundled apps are common on them.
  • Copyright. Most videos belong to someone. Keeping a private copy through an unofficial tool, and especially re-uploading or sharing it, can infringe the owner's copyright.
  • Your account. Third-party apps that ask you to sign in with Google can see more of your account than a video needs.

This is a summary of YouTube's published rules, not legal advice.

Already have the file? What to do next

Once you have your own video as an MP4 from Studio or Takeout, it is an ordinary file on your device. Video to MP3 takes the sound out of it in your browser, and Trim Video cuts it to the part you want. Neither uploads the file anywhere. They work on files you hold; they cannot fetch anything from YouTube.

Questions people ask

Do YouTube downloads expire?

Yes. Free downloads in India play offline for up to 48 hours, after which the phone must go online once so YouTube can check the video is still available. With Premium, most countries allow up to 29 days offline. A video removed by its uploader disappears from your downloads at the next check.

Why is there no Download button on some videos?

Each video's owner or rights holder decides whether it can be watched offline, and YouTube hides the button where they have not allowed it. Music labels often restrict free downloads in India; T-Series music, for example, has needed Premium since October 2020. Being signed out also hides the button.

Can I download YouTube videos on a laptop?

Only with YouTube Premium, by clicking Download under the video on youtube.com in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera. The free download option is offered only in the mobile app. Either way the copy plays only on youtube.com or in the app, never as a separate file.

Can I save a YouTube video to my gallery?

Not someone else's. YouTube's own downloads are encrypted and play only inside the YouTube app. A video you uploaded yourself is different: YouTube Studio's Download option saves it as an MP4 file, which you can then copy to your gallery, phone or computer like any other video.

Is downloading YouTube videos illegal in India?

YouTube's terms forbid downloading except through the methods YouTube provides, so a third-party downloader breaks the agreement you accept by using YouTube. Copying copyrighted material without permission can also infringe copyright under Indian law. The Download button, Premium, Studio and Takeout are all permitted. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

YouTube's own help pages and terms, checked 1 Oct 2026:

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