How to download youtube videos on ipad to watch offline

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Use a YouTube Premium account to save content

Updated on November 11, 2021

What to Know

  • If you have YouTube Premium, start watching the video in the YouTube app, then select Download below the video player.
  • Select Download again to remove the video from your hard drive. Downloaded videos can be found in the Library or Account tabs. 
  • You can download YouTube videos through third-party apps or websites, but it's not recommended.

This article explains how to download YouTube videos on an iPad through YouTube Premium.

How to Download YouTube Videos on iPad Via YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium is the platform's subscription service. It costs $11.99/month and offers ad-free videos and music, original series and movies, and offline viewing. YouTube offers a free one-month trial if you want to test it out. Once you get your membership squared away, downloading YouTube videos to your iPad is simple. You need to be signed in to your account to watch offline.

  1. Open or start watching the video you'd like to watch on the YouTube app.

  2. Select Download below the video player.

    In the YouTube Gaming app, the button is found under Details.

  3. Choose your video quality—either 720p or 360p. The higher the quality, the more storage space you'll need.

  4. Select OK or Try It Free if you haven't yet subscribed to YouTube Premium.

  5. Once the download finishes, the Download icon will change to a check mark.

  6. Once downloaded, videos can be found in the Library or Account tabs. Select the Download icon once again to remove the video from your hard drive.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you download videos to your iPad via YouTube Premium:

  • Some actions, like commenting and liking, aren't available in offline mode.
  • Downloaded videos renew automatically as long as you go online in your home country at least once every 30 days.
  • Some content may not be available for offline viewing once you reconnect to the internet due to video creator content restrictions.
  • You can only download videos in countries where YouTube Premium is available.

Should You Download YouTube Videos via a Third-Party App?

While you can download YouTube videos to iPad through third-party apps or websites, we don't recommend it. For one thing, it may be illegal. At the very least, it violates Google's terms of service, which states people "shall not download any content unless [they] see a 'download' or similar link displayed by YouTube on the service for that content."

There's also another danger involved with third-party apps and websites: malware. While many apps on the App Store are safe, others can be dangerous and infect your mobile device with adware or ransomware.

Better to play it safe and use YouTube Premium for your offline viewing.

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Learning how to download YouTube videos can be handy in many situations, such as when you're traveling and don't have a data connection, or if you want to grab a few videos over Wi-Fi to save using your data allowance.

Downloading YouTube videos also means you won't have to worry about buffering caused by network congestion and slowdown.

  • How to edit videos on YouTube
  • How to download YouTube videos in Chrome
  • How to download music from YouTube

YouTube makes it easy to share videos on social media or via embeds. But is it legal to download YouTube videos to keep? We address that issue below, to ensure you stay on the right side of the law (and YouTube itself). 

If you want to know how to download YouTube videos for personal use offline, here's a complete guide on how to do it on iPhone and iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows.

How to download Youtube videos on

According to Google's terms of service for YouTube (opens in new tab), the answer is no: "You may access Content for your information and personal use solely as intended through the provided functionality of the Service and as permitted under these Terms of Service. You shall not download any Content unless you see a 'download' or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content."

If you want to download YouTube videos, the only way to do so responsibly is by paying the $11.99 for YouTube Premium (opens in new tab).

If you violate the YouTube ToS, the company may terminate your account, as noted here: "YouTube will terminate a user's access to the Service if, under appropriate circumstances, the user is determined to be a repeat infringer."

However, the issue isn't totally black and white. GitHub reinstated the open-source tool YouTube-dl after taking the software down when the Recording Industry Association of America complained that it violated Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But GitHub found that YouTube-dl was used in non-copyright infringing ways by journalists and educators. 

Content on YouTube that is permissible to download includes public domain videos that aren't copyrighted, clips covered by a Creative Commons license (opens in new tab), and homemade videos that friends and family have shared with you (and don't mind you downloading). 

How to download YouTube videos on iPhone and iPad

Downloading YouTube videos on your iPhone and iPad is a bit tricky, since Apple polices the apps available in its store. If you jailbreak your phone, there are more options, but if you don't want to go that route, here's the best and easiest way. 

1. Download and open the app Documents by Readdle. (opens in new tab)

2. Tap on the compass icon to open the web browser and go to www.videosolo.com/online-video-downloader/ (opens in new tab).

3. Paste a YouTube video link in the text box and tap "Download." After a few moments, the video will decode and generate a list of different output format and quality options. 

How to Download YouTube videos on iPhone

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

4. Tap "Download" on the preferred output option. 

5. Enter a name and download location for the video. 

6. Tap the Downloads section in the bottom navigation barto view your downloaded videos within the Documents app.

How to Download YouTube videos on iPhone -next steps

(Image credit: How to Download YouTube videos on iPhone)

7. To save your downloaded videos to your iPhone or iPad hard drive, go back to the Documents app home screen and open your Downloads folder.

8. Find the video you want and tap the three dots icon on it. 

9. Tap on Share and then Save Video.

How to Download YouTube videos on iPhone final steps

(Image credit: How to Download YouTube videos on iPhone)

10. You can find the downloaded YouTube videos in the Photos app.

How to download YouTube videos on Mac

There are several tools and programs that allow you to download YouTube videos on a Mac.

One easy way is to use the screen capture tool built into macOS. It won't be high quality but it's something. Just press Command + Shift + 5 to bring up the screen recording options. You can select a window or record the entire screen, and change the options to include audio from your Mac's microphone.

The best program for downloading YouTube videos on Mac in high quality formats is 4K Video Downloader. It's free for up to 30 downloads a day, or you can upgrade to one of its premium plans. The software can download videos in up to 8K quality and in a variety of formats. And 4K Video Downloader can also grab entire YouTube playlists.

Here's how to use it:

1. Download and install 4K Video Downloader (opens in new tab)and open the program.

2. Find a YouTube video and copy the link. 

4. Click Paste Link in the menu. 

How to Download YouTube videos on Mac - in 4K video downloader

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

5. Click Download after selecting from the list of quality and format options.

How to Download YouTube videos on Mac - download options

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

6. After your video is downloaded, click the three dot icon so you can play, find it on your computer and perform other actions.

How to Download YouTube videos on Mac - downloading

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

How to download YouTube videos on Android

Downloading YouTube videos with an Android app from the Google Play store is going to be impossible, because Google prohibits such tools. However, you can get a YouTube downloader on your phone or tablet by installing a APK file from outside the Play store, like our top suggestion TubeMate. Here's how to use it.

1. Download TubeMate (opens in new tab)and install on your Android phone. You may need to change your security settings.

2. Open TubeMate and search for a YouTube video.

3. Tap the green Download button.

How to Download YouTube videos on Android - first steps

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

4. Choose from the list of quality and format options. Tap the green Download button.

5. Tap the Downloads List icon in the bottom menu to find your video. Or access the Downloads list by tapping on the three dot icon in the upper right corner of the TubeMate menu.

6. Tap the three dot icon next to a video to save it to a new location, rename it and other actions.

How to download YouTube videos on Android - final steps

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

How to download YouTube videos on a PC

The best way to download YouTube videos to a Windows PC is to use 4K Video Downloader. Follow the same steps that we outlined above for downloading YouTube videos on Mac.

However, there's also another way to download YouTube videos to your PC, using the excellent free program VLC Media Player. Here's how to do it. 

1. Download and install the latest version of VLC Media Player (opens in new tab), if you don't already have the program on your Windows PC.

2. Copy the URL of a YouTube video to your clipboard.

3. Open VLC and click the Media menu in the top-left corner. Select Open Network Stream.

how to download YouTube videos - vlc open network stream

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

4. Paste the copied video address into the "Please enter the network URL" box and click Play. The YouTube video will start playing in VLC.

how to download YouTube videos - vlc paste network
url

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

5. Now go to Tools, Codec Information and copy the long URL from the Location box at the bottom of the window. 

how to download YouTube videos - vlc codec

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

6. Paste the URL into your browser’s address bar and click OK, and the video will begin playing in a new tab. 

Right-click it and choose "Save video as" to download the YouTube video as an MP4 file.

how to download YouTube videos - vlc save video

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Now you're familiar with how to download videos from YouTube, you should check out how to download videos from Facebook or how to download Vimeo videos. Or if you're thinking of uploading your own content, take a look at our guide on how to edit videos on YouTube.

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How do I download a video to my iPad to watch offline?

Download a show or movie on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.
Open the Apple TV app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac..
Browse or search for a movie or TV show..
Find the download button and tap or click it..
To find and play your downloads, go to the Library tab, then tap or click Downloaded..

Can you download YouTube videos to watch offline on a tablet?

To make a YouTube video available offline, first you need to open the YouTube app on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. Visit the video file you want to download. Look for the Add to Offline icon below the video (alternatively you can click the context menu button and select Add to Offline option).

Can I download a YouTube video and watch it offline?

If YouTube Premium is available in your location, you can download videos to your computer or mobile device by becoming a YouTube Premium member. If you're a YouTube Premium member, learn how to manage your download settings.

Can you download and save YouTube videos on iPad?

If you don't have a computer nearby, you can install an app called Documents to save YouTube videos. Though Documents is a file manager for iPhone, it also offers the function to download YouTube clips. If you like this method, make sure your iDevice is running iOS 12 or above.