In this day and age, a lot of people would rather watch a video than read an article. Thankfully, with the invention of YouTube, you can easily find your favorite video clips on the site itself whenever you want to watch them. However, this comes at a cost—even if you have an unlimited data plan for your smartphone, it costs to download it, so if you want to easily avoid that, keep reading to find out how.
1. Use a downloading tool
The first and most obvious way to download videos from any site is by using a downloadable tool on your computer. There are indeed some tools that can help you do this easily on YouTube, but the downside is that it’s not always free.
A lot of these downloading programs would require users to pay before they can use their function to download video clips, which means if you want it for free, be prepared to spend hours looking or asking around for one that works—and even then, there might not even be one available for use! Thankfully, though, there are some online tools that can give you what you need without having to pay anything at all—just google “downloading tool”, and take time to find the right one for you. This will save you a lot of time and effort in the process.
2. Use a web browser add-on
If the first method is too much for you, another approach is to use a web browser add-on. However, this time you’ll need an Internet browser like Google Chrome. The advantage of using an add-on here is that it will be downloaded and installed inside your computer—meaning, there’s no need to go online and connect to other sites just to find one.
Aside from saving your data connection, this also saves you time looking around because you’re already at your homepage; all you have to do now is install the tool (which means it will take up less time than downloading one). All that needs to be done then is enter the URL to where your desired video clip resides, and voilà! Your favorite video clip appears on your screen.
3. Use a video converter
If you don’t want to download your videos and prefer having them online instead, another alternative is by using a video converter. There, you can convert the online videos to different formats and sizes so that anyone with any device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet, laptop) can easily watch them without having to use heavy amounts of data. This is useful as well as it allows users to download their videos as a backup.
So next time you need to watch the clip again, there’s no need to go online or look for an app that can do it—you already have it! All you need is to transfer the file from your computer to whatever device you want and enjoy watching.
4. Use a desktop app
If you are the type of person who likes having things handy, staying in one place without being distracted by the Internet, apps, etc., then a desktop app is the best way to download videos from YouTube. This promises fast and convenient downloads that can effectively save not just your time, but also your bandwidth—especially if you’re going online through a slow connection.
So what exactly is this tool? It’s actually a search engine that helps users find their favorite clips on YouTube in an instant. In addition to this added convenience, you don’t even need to have multiple tabs open or switch windows back and forth when you want to watch your downloaded video clip! All you need is one window with the file already playing inside it—talk about simple!
5. Use a third-party site
Finally, if you want to have the flexibility of converting online videos to different formats and sizes AND downloading them as well, then using a third-party site is another option. However, this requires users to have an account with these websites—which means if you don’t plan on saving your files for whatever reason, you can skip this method.
Fortunately, though, it’s free and easy to make an account! All you need to do is copy the link of the video clip you want to save and paste it inside the website’s search bar. Afterward, select your preferred format and click “Download”. It will start right away—which means you can finally sit back and watch that clip.