Social Media · iPhone & iPad
Download YouTube Videos for Offline Viewing on iPhone
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
In YouTube, use Download when the video, account, and region are eligible. Downloads stay inside the app and may require Premium and periodic reconnection.
Choose the correct download type
Use YouTube's in-app Download control for offline viewing of another creator's eligible video. If you need a reusable copy of a video you uploaded yourself, use YouTube Studio or Google Takeout; offline downloads from other creators are not exported to Photos or Files.
Confirm eligibility before travelling
Sign in to the intended YouTube account, open the video, and check that Download is available. Availability depends on the video, subscription, and country or region, so test the complete download while the iPhone still has a reliable connection.
Download inside the YouTube app
Tap Download beneath the video or in its menu, select an offered quality, and keep YouTube connected until the progress completes. Higher quality uses more device storage; change future download quality in YouTube's Background & downloads settings when available.
Find and test the offline copy
Open You > Downloads and play part of the video with the iPhone offline. Downloads remain encrypted inside YouTube, may expire or become unavailable, and require periodic reconnection so YouTube can check availability.
Download a video you own
On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio, open Content, use the video's menu, and choose Download. YouTube documents MP4 downloads for your uploads; Google Takeout is the supported option when you need an archive of all uploaded videos.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If Download is absent or fails, verify the signed-in account, available storage, subscription and regional eligibility, then reconnect and retry the same video. If only one title fails, it may be restricted or removed; do not use a third-party downloader to bypass the creator's or YouTube's controls.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: iPhone & iPad.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.