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YouTube Premium Experimenting With Video Downloads

Though it's only available for a limited time

By Rob Rich Rob Rich News Reporter College for Creative Studies Rob is a freelance tech reporter with experience writing for a variety of outlets, including IGN, Unwinnable, 148Apps, Gamezebo, Pocket Gamer, Fanbolt, Zam, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 23, 2021 04:22PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Streaming Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming YouTube has quietly started testing a video download feature for Premium subscribers, at least until October 19. Android Police readers with Premium YouTube subscriptions have started noticing a new option to download videos through the Labs page. According to Labs, the download feature will work with Windows, Mac, and Chrome OS, and the test will be ending in mid-October. Westend61 / Getty Images According to Android Police, it's been made available to YouTube Premium subscribers in India and France, but should also be widely available in other areas. The main draw of downloading YouTube videos is not having to worry about an internet connection. If you plan to travel or know you'll be somewhere with limited or nonexistent internet, you can pre-load the videos you want to watch and not have to worry about it. If you're a Premium subscriber and have been included in this trial run, you should see a Download button in the video toolbar now. Any videos you choose to download should then appear in a new Downloads menu you can find in the sidebar.
While there have been ways to download videos from YouTube for a bit now, having an official option should be much more secure. Assuming Google decides to push ahead with the feature after the test, of course. RgStudio / Getty Images The test already has begun and should be appearing for Premium YouTube subscribers now. If you don't see the option, you might not have been selected, or you might just have to wait a bit longer before being included in the trial. Once the trial ends, who knows what will happen? Google might limit the feature to Premium, it may make it available to all YouTube users, or decide to skip the whole thing. We won't know until we know, you know? Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Download YouTube Videos on Your Android Device How to Download YouTube Videos on a Mac How to Play YouTube in the Background on Your Phone The 10 Best Ways to Watch Movies With Friends Online What Happened to the Old iPhone YouTube App on iOS 6? YouTube Premium vs. YouTube TV: What's the Difference? How to Post a YouTube Video on Instagram How to Download YouTube Videos on iPad YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Which Service Better Fits Your Music Needs? YouTube Premium vs YouTube Music Premium: What's the Difference? 11 Best Free Movie Download Sites How to Download Twitch VOD Videos 360 Total Security Review: Everything You Need to Know How to Remove a Video From YouTube How to Save Twitter Videos on iOS, Android, and Windows Chrome Not Playing Video? How to Fix Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies