This post discusses how to download YouTube videos for free using Chrome or Firefox web browsers. No other software is necessary. Avoid using online video downloading sites as they are full of deceptive ads which can result in malware downloads. Using a web browser plugin is secure and effective.
How to Download YouTube Videos for Free Using Chrome
Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world. Here are the steps to downloading YouTube videos using Chrome:
- Click on the Customize and Control Google Chrome icon located on the right side of the address bar. Looks like three vertical dots.
- Select More Tools > Extensions. Click on Get More Extensions link. The Chrome Web Store will open.
- Using the Chrome Web Store search bar, search for “video downloader”.
- You will see Video Downloader Professional extension for Chrome by videodownloader.io. Click on + ADD TO CHROME button to install the extension.
- Navigate to the YouTube video page you wish to download.
- When the video loads, an arrow next to the address bar (shown below) will become blue. Click on the arrow and choose the video quality you wish to download.
How to Download YouTube Videos Using Firefox
Firefox web browser is another great way of downloading videos from YouTube. Here are the steps:
- Open the Firefox web browser. Click on the menu icon (three horizontal bars) and select Add-ons. You may also press CTRL+SHIFT+A to open the Add-ons manager.
- In the Add-ons Manager, click on Get Add-ons Links and scroll down to click on See More Add-ons button. This will open up the Firefox Add-ons collection page.
- In the Find add-ons search field, type in “video downloader” and hit enter.
- I personally recommend Video DownloadHelper as the add-on to choose for downloading YouTube videos. In addition to the Video DownloadHelper, you can also install Video Downloader Professional. Both are great add-ons. To install, click on + Add to Firefox button.
- Navigate to the YouTube video page where you want to download a video from. If you are using the Video DownloadHelper plugin, you will see the Video DownloadHelper icon animating next to the address bar. Click on the icon and download the video from the list given. If you are using the Video Downloader Professional add-on, you will see the blue arrow key next to the address bar like the picture shown under Chrome instructions above. Click on the arrow to choose the video to download.
How to Download YouTube Videos using Mac
If you own a Apple device, it is easy to download YouTube videos for free. Due to YouTube’s terms of service, an app is not allowed to download the videos directly from YouTube. As a result, you will first have to download the video to your PC or Mac and then transfer it to any other device.
YouTube videos can be downloaded by using the free ClipGrab software. Here are the steps to downloading and using this software on Mac:
- Visit the ClipGrab software webpage. Click on Download ClipGrab. Scroll down and click on Show all Download Options.
- Download ClipGrab for Mac and install the software.
- Copy the YouTube video URL from a web browser. To do this, highlight the URL from the address bar and press Ctrl + c or Cmd + c or right click on the highlighted URL and select Copy.
- Open the ClibGrab software. Click on the Downloads Tab and paste the URL into the input field.
- Select the format and the quality of the video and click on Grab that Clip! button to download the video. Remember, higher quality videos result in larger file size.
