How to download a YouTube video — step by step
A detailed guide to downloading YouTube videos in any quality with SaveVideos.
Downloading a YouTube video takes less than a minute. Below is a detailed walkthrough for desktop and mobile.
Detailed steps
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Step 1. Copy the video link
Open the video you want on YouTube. In your browser's address bar, select the entire address (it starts with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…) and copy it (Ctrl+C on Windows, Cmd+C on Mac). In the YouTube mobile app, tap “Share” → “Copy link”.
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Step 2. Paste the link into SaveVideos
Go back to the SaveVideos home page, paste the link into the text field and click “Download”. Within a couple of seconds the service fetches the video info: title, thumbnail, duration and available qualities.
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Step 3. Pick a quality and download
Under the video thumbnail you'll see buttons: 360p, 720p HD and 4K Ultra HD (if available). Click the quality you want — the MP4 file starts downloading automatically. 360p downloads straight from Google's servers; 720p and 4K are muxed on the fly with audio preserved.
Useful tips
- For maximum speed choose 360p — the file comes straight from the CDN.
- If you need HD with audio, go with 720p or 4K, but expect a few seconds for muxing.
- Downloading works on any device: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
- Don't close the tab until an HD/4K download finishes — the stream will be interrupted.