How to Download YouTube Videos in Laptop in 5 Ways

This article shares five ways on how to download YouTube videos in laptop or computer. Always check your country's copyright laws before downloading.

Want to download a YouTube video to computer and watch YouTube videos offline, remix clips into new content, or save long-form tutorials for later? You're not alone – and yes, it's possible, even without YouTube Premium.

In this guide, you'll learn five safe and effective ways to download YouTube videos to your laptop or computer and watch the videos offline without an Internet connection. By downloading YouTube videos to your laptop or computer, you can enjoy many conveniences. Whether you're a content creator, student, or casual viewer, there's a method that fits your needs.

Desktop Software-EaseUS Video Downloader (Fast, reliable, supports playlists and MP3 conversion).

Online Downloaders-No installation required, but may show ads.

Browser Extensions–Add-ons for Chrome/Firefox that add download buttons.

VLC Media Player (Dysfunct)–Advanced users can extract video URLs via VLC.

Stacher–The GUI for powerful yt-dlp.

Can You Download YouTube Videos in Laptop

No, YouTube doesn't allow users to download videos from the website for offline viewing if they have no YouTube Premium subscription. 

Then, "How can I download YouTube videos to my laptop?" many users asked. The good news is that there are many practical ways that will help you save a YouTube video to a computer, be it a laptop or PC. Read on to learn how to download a YouTube video to your computer in different ways and apply one of them to save the videos you like to your computer.

Method 1. How to Download YouTube Videos in Laptop with Desktop Software

Guarantee:  100% Safe, No Ads, No Plugins

There are generally five ways to download YouTube movies, including using desktop software, online video downloader, web browser, and media player. Each of the methods has its advantages and disadvantages. Read the methods in detail and carry out the one best suited to your needs.

Downloading YouTube videos can be quite easy with this video downloader for Windows - EaseUS Video Downloader. With it, you can download one or multiple videos from various websites like OK.ru by simply pasting the URL or using the keywords related to your video to search for it. Easy, right?

Besides being easy of use, it also has many other great features, such as:

• Simple and clean UI
• Download videos in different resolutions
• Download your favorite playlists or channels
• Convert any videos to MP3
• Save thumbnails from YouTube shorts and other sites

Whether you're using a PC or Mac or laptop, you can use this video downloader to save your favorite videos from YouTube. Check our previous guide to download youtube videos on a mac if needed. 

Now, let's start downloading YouTube videos with it. 

Step 1. Run EaseUS Video Downloader. Choose your preferred format and quality.

Step 2. Copy the video link and click "Paste Link," initiating the download process to your laptop.

Step 3. Once the download completes, click "Open File Location" to locate and inspect the video.

Disclaimer: It is illegal to download any copyrighted content for commercial purposes without the permission. This guide is demonstrated ONLY for personal use.

The steps above are also helpful to download Vimeo videos, save Facebook videos to a computer, download music from SoundCloud, and more.

Method 2. How to Save YouTube Videos to Laptop Free with Online Video Downloader

"How can I download YouTube videos on my laptop with Chrome?" If you have the same question, one of the answers for you is to use an online video downloader. An online video downloader enables you to download a YouTube video to your computer without installing software.

However, based on my own experience, it's highly likely that you will be shown lots of ads or redirected to another page after you click "Download". Before you try, it's worth mentioning that you may encounter other unexpected issues while using the online tool. Here are some of the issues I experienced:

• After parsing the link, the website said it didn't find the media files.
• After I clicked the "Download" button, I was redirected to another page that required me to download a video downloader app.
• After I pasted the URL and clicked "Download", I was redirected to a shopping website.
• The online video downloader took a long time to analyze the video address and then reported: "Failed to analyze video links!"

If you don't mind these disadvantages, follow these steps to learn how to download a YouTube video to your laptop.

There are many online video downloaders available.

• Savefrom.net: downloads YouTube videos to MP4 and audio formats quickly. Not available in the US.
• SSYouTube.com: saves YouTube videos in MP4 and WEBM in multiple video qualities. 
• YouTube Video Downloader: downloads YouTube videos across devices without ads.

Here I take YouTube Video Downloader as an example:

Step 1. In Chrome or other web browsers, visit the online YouTube video downloader.

Step 2. Copy and paste the URL of the YouTube video you want to download into the address bar and click "Download".  (Attention. You may be redirected to another webpage, and there is an ad that keeps popping up.)

Step 3. If you are redirected to another site, switch the tab to go back to the original site.

Step 4. Choose to download the video with or without sound and select the video quality you prefer.

Step 5. When the downloading process is complete, the downloaded videos will be saved in the "Downloads" folder. Go check and watch YouTube videos offline.

This online service provides you with various choices. You can choose a format you prefer and download a YouTube video with or without the MP3 file. If you don't want to install apps, try this way instead.

Method 3. How to Download YouTube Videos in Laptop with Chrome Extensions

As mentioned, one of the ways to download YouTube videos to PC with Chrome is to use online video downloaders. The other is to use browser extensions. By downloading and installing the video downloader extension, you are able to save the video you want to watch to your computer by clicking the extension icon or the Download button it provides.

An extension that I tried and worked is called YouTube Video and MP3 Downloader. With it, you can download a video of varying qualities and directly convert the video to MP3. This way lets you download YouTube videos without any software efficiently.

To download videos from YouTube with Chrome extensions:

Step 1. Go to https://addoncrop.com/youtube-video-downloader/.

Step 2. The webpage will detect your browser automatically. Confirm your browser and click "INSTALL VIA CROSSPILOT".

Step 3. Download and install the extension. Afterward, restart the browser.

Step 4. Go to YouTube and play the video you want to download.

Step 5.  Now you should see there is a Download button under the video. Click the Download button to save the YouTube video to your laptop directly, or click the three dots next to it to choose other qualities available. (If you don't see the download button, click the icon of the YouTube Video and MP3 Downloader from the menu bar of the browser to download the video.)

Method 4. How to Download Videos from YouTube in Laptop with VLC Media Player

The last potential way to download a video file from YouTube is to use the VLC media player. Although indirectly, you can use the media player to get the video you want to download from YouTube to your laptop for offline viewing.

To save the video file you want:

Step 1. Download and install VLC media player on your PC.

Step 2. Open VLC and go to "Media" > "Open Network Stream..."

Step 3. Copy and paste the URL of the YouTube video you want to download into the box and click "Play".

Step 4. Click "Tools" > "Codec Information".

Step 5. Copy the content in the Location section and paste it into the address bar of a browser.

Step 6. Click "More" > "Download" to save the video to your PC.

Method 5. How to Download Videos from YouTube in Laptop with yt-dlp

Yt-dlp is a cross-platform, open-source command-line downloader for YouTube and other websites. It downloads YouTube videos, music, playlists, and other content in high quality. You can customize the export format, quality, and location as needed. But it is complicated to use for beginners. Hence, I recommend that you use its GUI Stacher 7 to download YouTube videos easily.

Step 1. Open Stacher and select the output quality and format.

Step 2. Copy the YouTube video link from its address bar.

Step 3. Paste the URL into the tool and click the download button.

The Bottom Line

These are the four common ways to download YouTube videos to a laptop. For you to make a better decision:

• EaseUS Video Downloader: 100% safe, no ads, no plugins
• Online video downloader: Requires no software installation, but will bombard you with ads
• Browser extension: Convenient and powerful
• Stacher: 100% free, no ads, no plugins

Among the four methods, EaseUS Video Downloader can not only help you download a YouTube video to the computer but also allows you to convert online videos. Others only help to save a video from a video site to a computer. Thus, if you need to save and convert YouTube videos, EaseUS Video Downloader is the best choice for you.

Most users can use the above methods to save a YouTube video to a laptop or PC and enjoy the video without an internet connection. But there are situations in which you may fail to download a YouTube video: The video is private, or the video contains music. In such cases, you are unable to save the video since it may cause copyright issues.

I hope you can download YouTube videos to your laptop smoothly without encountering these problems.

FAQ on How to Download YouTube Videos in Laptop

1. How to download YouTube videos in mobile gallery?

To download YouTube videos directly into your mobile phone's gallery, you can use a third-party app or an online YouTube downloader website:

(Always check your country's copyright laws before downloading)

• For Android: Use apps like NewPipe or Snaptube. After downloading a YouTube video on your Android phone, the video will appear in your gallery under the "Downloads" folder.
• For iPhone: It's trickier due to iOS restrictions. Use Safari with an online downloader (e.g., y2mate.ltd), then save the video from Files to Photos manually on your iPhone or iPad.

2. How to download YouTube videos without Premium?

Even without YouTube Premium, you can download videos using third-party tools. Desktop software like EaseUS Video Downloader offers fast and secure downloads. Online tools (e.g., y2mate, SaveFrom.net) require no installation, just paste the URL. Browser extensions can also add a download button directly on YouTube without Premium.

3. How to download YouTube videos in laptop without any software?

If you don't want to download YouTube videos in laptop without any software, try these methods:

• Online Downloaders: Visit a site like y2mate.ltd or SSYouTube.com, paste the video link, and choose your format.
• Browser Developer Tools (Advanced): In Chrome or Firefox, open Developer Tools → Network → Media, find the video URL, and download it. Note that online tools work best for short, non-copyrighted content and may not support playlists or 1080p+ quality.