Where are my YouTube Downloads on Android?
Downloading YouTube videos on your Android device allows you to watch videos offline, save data, and store videos permanently. While the YouTube app doesn’t allow downloads directly, there are several ways Android users can save YouTube videos to their device storage.
This guide will provide an overview of the options available to download YouTube videos on an Android phone or tablet. We’ll cover using the YouTube app, third party apps, mobile browsers, where downloaded videos are saved, troubleshooting tips, and more.
With the right method, downloading YouTube content on Android is straightforward. Let’s look at the different options step-by-step.
Enabling Downloads in the YouTube App
To enable downloading videos within the YouTube app on your Android device, you first need to navigate to the app settings to turn on downloads.
Open the YouTube app and tap on your profile picture in the top right corner. Then select “Settings” from the menu. Under the “General” section of settings, toggle “Download over Wi-Fi only” to the on position to allow downloads over Wi-Fi connections. You can also choose to enable downloads over mobile data by toggling “Download over mobile data” to the on position if you want the ability to download videos when not on Wi-Fi.
YouTube downloads need to be manually enabled as the default setting has downloads disabled. Once you toggle these settings on, you will be able to download videos within the YouTube app on your Android device.
Source: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12002587?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
Downloading Videos in the YouTube App
The easiest way to download YouTube videos on your Android device is directly within the YouTube app. Here are the steps:
1. Open the YouTube app on your Android phone or tablet.
2. Search for the video you want to download and tap on it to open the video page.
3. Tap on the download icon below the video. It looks like a downward pointing arrow inside a circle.
4. Select the video quality you want to download. YouTube allows you to download standard or high definition videos.
5. The video will start downloading. You can check the download progress by tapping on the Library icon in the YouTube app and selecting Downloads.
6. Once the download is complete, you can find the video in the Downloads section of the YouTube app. Tap on the video to watch it offline without an internet connection.
The YouTube app allows you to download videos for offline viewing over Wi-Fi. The downloads are saved within the app and you can access them as long as you are logged into your YouTube account. This makes it easy to watch videos later without using mobile data.
Using a Third Party YouTube Downloader
Many Android users prefer downloading YouTube videos using a dedicated third-party app rather than the official YouTube app. There are several good options to choose from:
TubeMate is one of the most popular YouTube downloaders on Android. It allows downloading videos in different resolutions and formats. TubeMate also lets you download just the audio of a YouTube video. One advantage is that it works even if the official YouTube app is not installed on your device (source: https://www.airdroid.com/file-transfer/youtube-downloaders-for-android/).
Snaptube is another full-featured downloader that supports downloading from YouTube and many other sites. You can save videos or extract only the audio. Snaptube also makes it easy to share downloaded videos. One useful feature is the ability to batch download multiple videos (source: https://www.acethinker.com/download-youtube/free-youtube-downloader-for-android.html).
Overall, third party apps provide more flexibility and options for downloading YouTube videos on your Android device.
Downloading from a Browser
One easy way to download YouTube videos on your Android device is by using browser extensions or web apps that allow you to download videos directly from the YouTube website. Popular options include:
- VideoDownloader – This Chrome extension lets you download videos in different formats and resolutions. Just install it, open YouTube, and click the download button on any video page.
- FireTube – A Firefox add-on that also puts a download button on YouTube videos. You can grab MP4 or WebM files.
- SaveFrom.net – A web app you can access from any mobile browser. Paste the YouTube link and pick download formats.
The benefit of using these tools is you don’t have to install any extra apps on your device. The download process happens directly in your mobile browser. Just make sure you have the latest Chrome or Firefox installed.
According to this LifeWire article, some good browser-based download options include VideoDownloader, FireTube, and SaveFrom.net.
Finding Downloaded Videos
When you download videos from YouTube using the YouTube app on Android, the default location for those files depends on your device and version of Android. Here are some of the common default locations where the YouTube app saves downloaded videos:
Android 10 and higher: Downloads are saved to the “YouTube” folder under Internal Storage > Android > media > com.google.android.youtube
Android 9 and lower: Files are saved in the /storage/emulated/0/Download folder
Samsung devices: Videos may be saved under Internal Storage > My Files > Videos
You can also find downloaded videos in the file manager app under Audio or Video folders depending on how your device categorizes files. Using the file manager’s search function can help quickly locate YouTube video files.
Some YouTube video downloaders like Snaptube save files under Download or Movies folder on the device storage or SD card. Check under these folders as well.
If you are still unable to find the downloads, try searching with keywords like “youtube”, “mp4” or parts of the video title. The exact save location depends on your specific device and Android version.
Moving Downloaded YouTube Videos
Once you’ve downloaded YouTube videos on your Android device, you may want to organize them by moving them to different folders or storage locations. Here are a few ways to move your downloaded YouTube videos on Android:
You can move downloaded videos to an SD card if your device has external storage. Open the My Files or File Manager app on your Android device and navigate to the YouTube downloads folder, usually in a Downloads or Movies folder. Tap and hold a video, select any other videos you want to move, then tap the “Move to” option and select your SD card storage. The selected YouTube videos will be moved from your device’s internal storage to the SD card.
Alternatively, you can create a new folder on your internal or external storage through your device’s file manager app. Then move your downloaded YouTube videos to that custom folder to keep them organized and separate from other downloads.
If you want to save YouTube videos directly to your SD card when downloading them, open the YouTube app settings. Under “Settings” go to “General” and set ‘Download location’ to your SD card rather than the default internal storage location.
Certain third-party YouTube downloader apps like CoolMuster also let you select custom download locations and move videos after downloading them on your Android device.
Playing Downloaded Videos
There are a few different ways to play downloaded YouTube videos on your Android device:
Using the YouTube App: Watch videos offline with YouTube Premium – Android If you have a YouTube Premium subscription, you can play videos you’ve downloaded within the YouTube app. Simply open the app, tap on your profile picture, and select ‘Downloads’ to access your offline videos.
Using a Third-Party App: There are many free apps available on the Google Play Store that allow you to play downloaded YouTube videos, such as VLC media player, MX Player, etc. These apps can play videos saved on your device storage in various formats.
From File Manager: You can also navigate to the folder where your downloaded YouTube videos are saved using your Android device’s file manager app. The videos are usually saved in the ‘Download’ folder. Opening them directly from there using a compatible video player app will allow you to play them.
Troubleshooting Issues
Here are some common troubleshooting fixes for problems downloading YouTube videos on Android:
If videos are not downloading, first make sure you are signed into a YouTube Premium account that has not expired. YouTube Premium is required for downloading videos.
Check that the YouTube app is up to date, as the download feature may not work properly in outdated versions. Update the app if needed.
Try restarting your Android device, as this can resolve temporary glitches stopping downloads.
Make sure you have enough storage space for the video you want to download. Videos can’t download if your device storage is full.
Check your internet connection is working properly. Downloads require an active internet connection.
If a particular video won’t download, there may be copyright restrictions applied by the video owner that prevent downloading. Unfortunately, restricted videos cannot be downloaded.
As a last resort, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the YouTube app, which can fix software issues blocking downloads.
Conclusion
To summarize, there are a few options for downloading YouTube videos on Android phones and tablets. The easiest way is to use the built-in download feature in the YouTube app. Just make sure downloads are enabled in your settings, then tap the download icon on any video. The video will download to your device storage for offline viewing.
You can also use third party apps and browser extensions to download YouTube videos. These give you more options for formats and quality. Just be careful when installing third party apps and be sure to only use reputable sources.
Once downloaded, YouTube videos can be found in the YouTube app’s Library tab or in your device’s Files app, usually under the Download folder. You can move files anywhere you like for organization. Use the device’s native video player or YouTube app in offline mode to watch downloaded videos.
If you have any trouble downloading or finding your files, check your settings, storage space, internet connection, and app permissions. With the right troubleshooting, you should be able to successfully download YouTube videos on your Android device.
