5 easy ways to download YouTube videos on Mac

Searching for methods to download YouTube videos on your macOS laptop or PC? We’ve got you covered! Check out our simple step-by-step guide below, detailing how you can easily download YouTube videos on your Mac for offline viewing. You can use various methods such as the official YouTube app, screen recording, third-party apps, and more. However, it’s important to note that while downloading YouTube videos through official channels is legal, sharing downloaded content may not be. Please proceed with caution and respect copyright laws.

How to download YouTube videos on Mac

Multiple ways exist to download YouTube videos on a macOS device. Let’s delve into the specifics of each method below.

via YouTube

No matter if you’re using Safari, Google Chrome, or any other browser on your Mac, YouTube’s built-in downloader is available. However, a limitation for non-YouTube Premium users is that they can only download videos in 480p resolution.

Here’s how to use the YouTube downloader:

• Open the YouTube website on your Mac.
• Find and select the video you want to download.
• Below the video, click the Download button.
• Choose the desired resolution for download.
• Go to the Downloads section in the left menu.
• Here, you’ll find all your downloaded videos.

Remember, the downloaded YouTube videos can’t be directly saved to your device. Additionally, your Mac needs to connect to the internet at least once every 30 days, or the downloaded videos will be removed.

Using YouTube video downloading websites

Numerous websites are available that facilitate easy downloading of YouTube videos onto your device, particularly a MacBook.

Here’s a simple guide:

• Open Safari or any other browser on your Mac.
• Visit YouTube and find the video you wish to download.
• Copy the URL of the YouTube video.
• Navigate to a website called Savetube.io.
• Paste the URL into the search bar and click Download.
• Choose the video resolution and click Get link.
• After a few seconds, a Download button will appear.
• Click it to save the video to your Mac.

Please note that you might encounter ads and pop-ups while using the website.

Using third-party apps

Much like websites dedicated to downloading YouTube videos, there are several applications and programs available for macOS that facilitate fetching and downloading YouTube videos. In this tutorial, we’ll use an application called ‘4K Video Downloader’ to demonstrate how to save YT videos to your device.

Here’s the process:

• Download 4K Video Downloader from this link.
• After installation, launch the app and complete the setup.
• Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to download.
• Click the ‘Paste link’ button at the top of the app.
• Select the video resolution, format, and download path, then click ‘Download’.
• The video will start saving to your Mac.

Using browser extension

If you’re a Google Chrome user on your Mac, here’s a great method to download YouTube videos hassle-free. Install a Chrome extension and grab any video you fancy from the platform. Here’s how to get it done:

• Launch Google Chrome on your Mac.
• Download an extension called Foxified from this link.
• After installation, the extension will prompt for necessary permissions on a new page. Allow all permissions.
• Open YouTube in Chrome.
• Find and choose the video you wish to download.
• In the extensions section at the top, select Foxified.
• Wait for it to fetch the video details.
• Choose the resolution for video download.
• The video will commence downloading to your downloads folder.

Using screen recorder

Employing the macOS screen recorder proves to be a useful method for capturing specific segments of a YouTube video. Here’s how you can utilize it while on YouTube:

• Go to YouTube using your browser.
• Play the video and enter fullscreen by pressing the F key.
• Press Command + Shift + 5 to activate the screen recorder.
• From the toolbar, choose the “Entire screen” option.
• Start the screen recording and stop it once you’ve captured what you need.

FAQs

1. Is downloading YouTube videos safe and legal?

Downloading YouTube videos from external sources like apps and websites is against YouTube’s policies unless you have explicit permission from the video’s publisher. We don’t support or encourage downloading and storing YouTube videos on your device.

2.What are some apps to download YouTube videos on Mac?

These are the applications available for downloading YouTube videos on Mac:

• Pulltube
• Downie
• EaseUS
• ClipGrab