What it is
The YouTube Video Downloader is a free tool that saves a YouTube video straight to your device as an MP4, no software to install and no watermark added. It also works for audio-only downloads, when what you want is just the music or speech from the video, separated from the picture.
Paste the link to a video, a Short, or a shortened youtu.be address, and the tool fetches the download options straight from YouTube's own servers. Three groups show up: video with audio already merged, ready to watch; higher-resolution video without audio, meant for people who plan to edit and add sound back later; and audio only. Pick a format and the download starts right away, no other site involved.
It doesn't work with a whole playlist or a channel — the link needs to point to one specific video.
How to use it
- Copy the video link on YouTube, from the app or the browser — the address that opens the video itself, not the channel.
- Paste the link into the field on this page and tap Download.
- Pick a format from the ones that show up: video with audio, high-resolution video without audio, or audio only.
- The download starts right in the browser, no extra program needed.
Why there's no 1080p option with audio built in
That's a YouTube limitation, not something this tool imposes: above a certain quality (usually past 720p), YouTube serves video and audio as two separate files, and merging them would mean processing the file server-side before delivery. That's why the tool offers two paths: video with audio already combined, at a more moderate resolution, or the video at the highest resolution available, but silent — meant for people who are going to edit and add sound afterward.
Downloading audio only
If what you're after is the music or the speech in the video, pick the audio option from the download list. You get an isolated audio file, no video, ready to listen to offline or use as reference — works for a song just as well as for the audio of a lecture or podcast that was only published as a video.
Where the file gets saved
- Android: the Download folder in the file manager; videos usually also show up in the gallery.
- iPhone: the Files app, Downloads folder. To get the video into your camera roll, open the saved file and use "Save Video."
- Windows, Mac and Linux: the browser's Downloads folder, reachable from Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari's own downloads shortcut.
Is it safe to download YouTube videos here?
The tool doesn't ask for your Google account login or password, and it doesn't keep the link you paste or the file it generates — the lookup happens on the spot and ends as soon as the download starts.
About the content itself: the video still belongs to whoever posted it. Downloading to watch offline, keep as reference, or use in a class is common personal use. Reposting it as your own, monetizing it, or using it commercially without permission is a different matter and can run into copyright — in those cases, look for a license or reach out to whoever published it.
Common problems and how to fix them
- "Invalid YouTube URL": check that the link points to a specific video (it contains
watch?v=,/shorts/, or is ayoutu.belink), not a channel or a search result. - No options show up, or the search fails: YouTube changes its servers often; if the first attempt fails, wait a moment and try the same link again.
- Only silent video showed up at the higher resolutions: that's expected (see the section above) — use the "video with audio" option if you want to watch it right away, even at a slightly lower resolution.
- Private or removed video: this only works with public videos. A removed, private, or members-only video can't be downloaded here.