Alex Ruben
How To Save YouTube Videos on iPhone in 2025
Trying to keep your favorite YouTube content handy without juggling an internet connection? Yeah, that’s the dream. But honestly, if you’re not using YouTube Premium, you’re kinda out of luck for offline downloads through the official app. Still, if you’ve got the subscription (or considering it), here’s a sorta straightforward way to get videos onto your iPhone — from the official app, with a few extra tricks for better management. It’s not always perfect—sometimes downloads glitch or don’t show up right away—but it works most of the time, and you get to watch that latest playlist without stressing about Wi-Fi. So, here’s the lowdown, step-by-step, with some added tips because, of course, it’s not always as simple as a tap.
How to Download YouTube Videos on iPhone
How to Download Videos Using YouTube Premium
This is the legit way, and it’s why you pay the subscription fee. If you’re into offline viewing (say, on a plane or the subway with no Wi-Fi), YouTube Premium actually makes it pretty easy. It applies if your videos are not region-locked and if you stick with their ecosystem.
Make Sure You Have Everything Ready
- An iPhone running iOS (obviously).
- The YouTube app installed — latest version, or it might not work right.
- A YouTube Premium subscription – you can sign up right inside the app, under Settings > Purchases > Try Premium.
- Good internet for initially downloading, obviously. Once downloaded, the videos are available offline, so no need for internet afterwards.
Open the YouTube App & Find Your Video
Launch the app, make sure you’re logged into your Premium account, and pick out what you want. Search, browse subscriptions, or check your playlist. Usually, videos you’ve already played or added to your playlist are easiest to find.
Tap That Download Button & Select Quality
Scroll down a bit below the video—you should see a Download button (looks like a little arrow pointing down). Tap it. Then, you’ll be prompted to pick quality settings—usually Medium or High. Keep in mind, higher quality takes more storage. On some setups, this step sometimes fails or defaults to a weird setting, so if it’s not working right away, reboot the app or check your storage.
Check Your Subscription & Confirm Download
If you’re not seeing the download option, double-check that your YouTube Premium isn’t lapsed. Sometimes, the app acts weird if your subscription expired or isn’t recognized. To confirm, go to Settings > Payments > Your Membership. If everything looks fine, try reloading the video or even reinstalling the app if downloads refuse to start.
Wait and Keep the App Open
The download will start, and you’ll see a progress bar. Honestly, patience is key here. If you close the app or switch to another app, sometimes it pauses or stops altogether. In my experience, it’s better to leave it running in the background until it finishes. On some devices, the download malfunctions if you switch apps too often or if background app refresh is turned off. Sometimes, a reboot helps clear glitches if downloads get stuck.
Access Your Offline Videos
Once done, tap on your profile picture at the bottom right, then go to Downloads. Here, all your saved videos will be waiting. You can watch them anytime without Wi-Fi or cellular data. Just know you’ve got to keep your subscription active; cancel, and the downloads will probably disappear after a while.
Extra Tips & Common Problems
- If videos aren’t showing up, check in Settings > Downloads to see if you have a limit on downloaded videos (some regional versions or app updates tighten these limits).
- Make sure your app is up-to-date—sometimes bugs are fixed in updates, and older versions refuse to download properly.
- Getting errors? Try logging out and back in, or delete and reinstall the app. That’s usually enough to fix weird glitches.
- If your phone runs out of storage, downloads will fail or get cut off. Clearing some space is a no-brainer here.
- Downloading multiple videos at once? Not all devices handle it well, especially with limited RAM. Spread them out if you notice slowdowns or crashes.
Wrap-up
This isn’t the smoothest process ever—mainly because YouTube makes it kinda tricky to download without their subscription—but it’s doable. As long as the app works, you can keep your favorite videos offline and out of the way of flaky Wi-Fi. Sometimes, a little patience or a quick restart is necessary, but in general, the process is pretty reliable once it’s set up.
Summary
- Make sure YouTube Premium is active.
- Update the app and check your storage.
- Find the video, tap Download, select quality.
- Confirm the download is happening—keep the app open or in background.
- Access your saved videos via Profile > Downloads.
Final Thoughts
Yeah, it’s kind of a pain that you can’t just download freely without Premium, but at least this way is the most legit. If things fail sometimes, just try rebooting, updating, or toggling your subscription. Pretty much standard stuff. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours trying to figure it all out and gets you actual offline videos sitting in your library. Fingers crossed this helps.