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YouTube Premium members download videos with the Download button under the video, on phones and in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera on a computer, and watch them offline for up to 29 days before reconnecting. In some countries free downloads last 48 hours.
To download a YouTube video, sign in with a YouTube Premium account, open the video and tap or click Download under it; the video then plays offline from Downloads for up to 29 days, after which the device must go online once so YouTube can check the video is still available. Downloads work in the YouTube app on phones and tablets and, on a computer, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera. They stay inside YouTube: the app plays them, but they are not video files to copy elsewhere. In some countries and regions, YouTube also offers downloads without Premium that play offline for 48 hours.
Quick facts
| Who | YouTube Premium members, signed in, where Premium is sold |
| Where | YouTube app on phones and tablets; Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera on a computer |
| Offline for | Up to 29 days, then reconnect (48 hours in some countries and regions) |
| While abroad without Premium | Earlier downloads play offline for 30 days |
| Quality | Settings > Downloads (computer) or Background & downloads (app) > Download quality |
| Find them | Downloads in the left menu (computer); You > Downloads (app) |
From Watch videos offline with YouTube Premium, Watch videos offline on mobile in select countries & regions and Premium memberships available locations & travel policies, read Nov 6, 2026.
How do I download a YouTube video?
On a phone or tablet:
- Sign in to your Premium account in the YouTube app.
- Open the video's watch page.
- Tap Download under the video. The icon changes when the download is done.
On a computer:
- Go to youtube.com in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera, signed in to Premium.
- Open the video and click Download under it.
- Find it later under Downloads in the left menu.
A download that loses its connection resumes by itself when the device is back online (Help). Playlists can be downloaded too (Use your YouTube Premium benefits).
Premium's Smart downloads can add recommended videos to the library automatically (Use your YouTube Premium benefits), based on your viewing history. YouTube Viewers' own video says Smart downloads is on by default for Premium members, and is turned off under You > Settings > Background & downloads.
How long do YouTube downloads last?
Downloaded videos play offline for up to 29 days. After that the device must reconnect, and YouTube checks for changes; a video the creator deleted or made unavailable offline is removed at the next sync. In some countries and regions the limit is 48 hours (Help). Downloads play only while you are signed in to the same account that made them. Liking and commenting need a connection.
Downloads and travel
Premium is meant to be used mainly in the country where you signed up. In a country where Premium is sold, downloads and other benefits carry on; in one where it is not, benefits stop, but videos downloaded before the trip stay playable offline for 30 days. Travel longer than 30 days, a move abroad, or using a VPN to misstate your country can lead YouTube to cancel the membership (Premium memberships available locations & travel policies).
Download quality and storage
Set the default under Settings > Downloads > Download quality on a computer, or your profile photo, Settings > Background & downloads > Download quality in the app. Higher quality uses more data and storage and takes longer to appear (Help). Help does not list the quality steps. To remove one download, click Downloaded under the video and Delete; to remove them all, use Delete all downloads in the same settings.
Downloads without Premium
In a list of countries and regions that includes India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and the UAE, YouTube offers offline downloads on mobile without Premium. These play for up to 48 hours before the device must reconnect, or 29 days for non-music content in some places. The app can be set to Download over Wi-Fi only, and downloads stop when less than 5% of the device's storage is free. Some videos there still require Premium, such as T-Series music in India since Oct 29, 2020 (Watch videos offline on mobile in select countries & regions).
What YouTube does not allow
Help describes no limit on the number of downloads or devices. Saving videos outside the app with other tools is a different matter: George Vanous, who runs the Freedom! network, records a strike YouTube upheld on a video that taught creators to save YouTube videos, with YouTube citing its Terms of Use. He also notes that YouTube Studio has a Download link for each of a creator's own uploads, and Google Takeout saves a channel's originals in bulk.
What creators say
In a Jan 1, 2025 video asking whether Premium was still worth it going into 2025, Jordan Floyd of 9to5Google, a member since 2017 with over 600 videos watched offline, called offline downloads "essential for travel" on spotty connections. He singled out Smart downloads: over the years, he said, it had kept around 20 hours of recommended videos ready whenever he unexpectedly found himself without internet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I download YouTube videos without Premium? Only in certain countries and regions, where YouTube offers mobile downloads that play offline for 48 hours; elsewhere, downloading in the YouTube app needs YouTube Premium.
Why did my YouTube downloads disappear? YouTube downloads expire if the device stays offline for more than 29 days, and a video is removed at the next sync if it is no longer available offline; downloads also play only for the account that made them.
Can I download YouTube videos on a computer? Yes, with YouTube Premium, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera, using the Download button under the video; downloads play from the Downloads page on youtube.com.
Where are YouTube downloads saved? Inside YouTube: under Downloads in the left menu on youtube.com, or under the You tab in the app. They are not ordinary video files.
How do I change YouTube download quality? In the YouTube app, go to Settings > Background & downloads > Download quality; on a computer, Settings > Downloads > Download quality.
Sources
- Watch videos offline with YouTube Premium, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Watch videos offline with YouTube Premium (Android), YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Watch videos offline on mobile in select countries & regions, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Premium memberships available locations & travel policies, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Use your YouTube Premium benefits, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- How to download videos with YouTube Premium, YouTube Viewers, Jul 23, 2024 (video)
- Is YouTube Premium Worth It In 2025? (Deep Dive), 9to5Google, Jan 1, 2025 (video)
Moments
How to download videos with YouTube Premium
YouTube Viewers
- To download a YouTube video, sign in with a YouTube Premium account, open the video and tap or click Download under…
- Premium's Smart downloads can add recommended videos to the library automatically (Use your YouTube Premium benefits)…
- Downloaded videos play offline for up to 29 days. After that the device must reconnect, and YouTube checks for…
- Set the default under Settings > Downloads > Download quality on a computer, or your profile photo, Settings >…
Is YouTube Premium Worth It In 2025? (Deep Dive)
9to5Google
Related
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ClipsA YouTube clip is a 5 to 60 second piece of someone's video or live stream, with its own link, that plays on a loop. Make one with Clip under the video; creators turn Clips off in YouTube Studio under Settings, Channel, Advanced settings.
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Jump AheadIn the YouTube app, double tap the right or left side of a video to skip 10 seconds forward or back. With YouTube Premium, a Jump ahead button then appears that skips to the next point most viewers fast forward to.
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Most ReplayedMost Replayed is the gray graph YouTube draws above the progress bar while you seek; its peaks are the parts of a video viewers rewatch most. It does not show on new or low-view videos or on channels with active strikes.
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Picture in Picture and MiniplayerYouTube picture in picture keeps a video playing in a small window when you leave the app on Android or iPhone; it is free for most videos, but music videos need YouTube Premium. On a computer, the Miniplayer (press i) keeps the video in a corner while you browse YouTube.
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QueueYouTube's queue lines up videos to play next without stopping the current one. On a computer, choose More, Add to queue, free; on phones and tablets, More, Play next in queue or Play last in queue needs YouTube Premium. The queue disappears when the browser closes unless saved to a playlist.
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Recommendations and Watch HistoryYouTube recommends videos from your watch and search history, likes and feedback. Use More, Not interested or Don't recommend channel to steer it, and pause or delete watch history at myactivity.google.com; with history off and empty, YouTube removes Home recommendations.
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Restricted ModeYouTube Restricted Mode hides potentially mature videos and all comments. Turn it off from your profile photo, Restricted Mode, then the Activate Restricted Mode switch; if it is locked, a network administrator, school, Family Link or your mobile provider has turned it on.
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Sleep TimerYouTube's sleep timer pauses a video automatically after a set time. Open the player's Settings gear and choose Sleep timer, then 10, 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes, 1 hour or end of video. It is free for everyone since Oct 15, 2024.
See also
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YouTube PremiumYouTube Premium is YouTube's paid plan: videos without ads, background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium, an enhanced-bitrate 1080p, Jump ahead and more. In the US it costs $15.99 a month for one person and $26.99 for a family as of Nov 6, 2026; Premium Lite is a cheaper, mostly ad-free plan without music.
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Ambient ModeAmbient mode is the soft glow of a video's colors that YouTube casts around the player in dark theme. Turn it off from the player's Settings gear, Ambient mode, on a computer, or Settings, Additional settings, Ambient mode on a phone.
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Automatic DubbingYouTube automatic dubbing uses AI to add translated audio tracks to eligible creators' videos, labeled "auto-dubbed". Viewers switch back to the original audio in the player's settings; creators turn it off in the YouTube Studio app under Settings, Automatic dubbing.
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Captions and SubtitlesTurn YouTube captions on with the CC button or the C key, translate them with Settings, Subtitles/CC, Auto-translate, and restyle them under Options. Creators add captions in YouTube Studio's Subtitles page; automatic captions cover 67 languages.
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ChaptersYouTube chapters split a video into titled sections on the progress bar. Creators add them by typing timestamps in the description, starting at 0:00, with at least three chapters of at least 10 seconds each, or let YouTube make automatic chapters.