It happens sometimes that you’re watching a video online and you like it so much that you would like to have the option to watch it offline. Your internet isn’t stable, you’re going somewhere off the grid, or your internet quota is limited. Regardless of the reasons, there are many ways you can download videos for offline viewing.
Before We Get Started
Keep it in mind that distributing copyrighted videos, like music videos, tv shows, and movies, is illegal in the United States and other countries, so if you’re downloading a video, make it for your own personal use. Also, remember that some YouTubers’ source of profit is the ads on their videos and that it will help them if you view the video on Youtube. Now that we’ve got this out of the way, here’s how to download online videos:
Software
There are a number of software options to download on your pc or mobile that allow you to download videos by either pasting the link to the video from the source or by searching for the title. Some of this software is free, some require payment, and some have both options.
4K Video Downloader has a smart mode feature where you can make preferable settings apply to all future downloads, making downloading faster and easier. WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe and VideoProc allow downloads from over 1000 sites. Gihosoft TubeGet allows you to extract the subtitles on the videos. There are other options like http://vidd.ly/, where you can download up to 8k at up to 60 fps, meaning watching the video will be a smooth experience. It has both free and paid options.
Browser Extensions
You will find hundreds of them, but not all are good, though some are pretty decent. Here are the top video downloaders for Google Chrome:
Flash Video Downloader brags that you can download from 99% of websites in all popular media formats. It adds an icon to the address bar and the icon changes when there’s a video that can be downloaded. Free Video Downloader, like the name suggests, is totally free. After installation, it adds an icon to the toolbar that you interact with when downloadable videos are available.
Another choice would be Video Downloader Professional which is the most used browser extension. It’s added to the toolbar after installation and, when visiting a website, it will list all videos available for you to choose what you want to download. All the mentioned extensions work for both Google Chrome and Firefox browsers.
Helper Websites
Helper sites aren’t the fastest option but they are ideal if you don’t want to download software or extensions. You simply add words to youtube links, they convert the video, and then give you a downloading link.
Examples:
Add “vd” before Youtube.com and it goes to a website called VDYoutube where you have the option to go to the website directly and paste the video link. If you add the word ‘magic’ between ‘you’ and ‘tube,’ you go to Save-video.com. If you add the word ‘Monkey’ after Youtube and before .com, you go to YoutubeMonkeydownloader and if you add ‘ss’ before youtube.com you go to SaveFrom.net. If you get a warning from your browser that one of these websites is risky, pick another one, you have many options.
For Mobile Phones
For Android, there’s an easy option for Youtube specifically, which is to download from the Youtube app itself, given that the video publisher made it available. There’s even a new app launched by Google called ‘Youtube GO’ that allows you to download videos and control the data usage so you don’t drain your internet data. You can download the video in data saver mode, standard, or high quality. It’s the best option if you want to guarantee your download is legal.
There are more options for non-Youtube videos and Youtube videos that you’re not allowed to download. There are apps for video downloading like Videoder, TubeMate, and KeepVid where you can download from a number of sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and more.
For iPhone users, you can use the Safari app to download videos by using helpers like savefrom.net.
If you have internet connection problems or if you simply love to have your favorite videos with you offline, you have many sources to get videos. There are many methods for pc users like downloading software apps, using website helpers, or adding extensions to your browser. For mobile users, there are legal ways like the Youtube app and Youtube Go, along with other methods like websites made for the purpose. You can store the video in minutes.
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