YouTube has introduced many user-friendly features over the years — whether it's the "Jump Ahead" button that quickly skips sponsored segments, or the mobile update to timestamped comments, which flashes them to the top of the pile when the relevant point in the video plays. However, like many of its fellow video-sharing platforms, YouTube does not allow users to fully download videos, leaving only one legal option to do so. And while the rollout of YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red) arrived with the promise of a download feature, that option comes with a big catch.

Downloadable videos have long been a feature of YouTube Premium, though they were previously locked to the mobile version. Luckily, following YouTube testing video downloads on computers in 2020, the feature is now available across different YouTube platforms. On the less fortunate side of things, those looking to use this feature to download videos for creative use, such as to edit into a different video (as is standard practice for commentary and reaction channels), will be disappointed, as videos downloaded in this way can only be used in-application.

Using YouTube Premium's download feature is quick and simple, and you can download any video with YouTube Premium or download almost any video with YouTube Premium Lite (though Lite won't allow you to download Shorts or music content). The process is the same across both mobile and desktop: Simply click the three dots to the right of the Like, Dislike, and Share buttons. From there, just select the Download option, and your video will begin to download.

Downloading a video via YouTube Premium sends it to the Downloads section of your YouTube account, available in the left menu on desktop and at the bottom of the Library section on mobile (below "Recents" and any playlists you've made). It's worth noting that your downloaded videos are purely in-app; you do not receive a video file downloaded to your device. Moreover, downloads aren't the same across devices, regardless of whether you're using the same account — so, for instance, videos you have downloaded on mobile won't be automatically downloaded on desktop. YouTube tested a way to sync downloads across devices back in 2018, but it never came to fruition.

YouTube's download function does grant the benefit of offline viewing, but is otherwise not ideal when it comes to video downloads. Not only do you lose these downloads when you lose your subscription, but they're also only available offline for 29 days. After that, you'll need to reconnect your device to the internet to restart that timer and make them available offline again. While most users will likely remain constantly connected, that highlights the biggest drawback: You can't bring those videos outside the application. You don't receive a video file that you can edit or transmit to other devices, just the option to view a video offline.

What's more, there are very few alternative solutions to downloading YouTube videos. There are YouTube video downloaders online, where you can insert a link to a video and receive a downloadable file in return, but many of these are riddled with adware and spyware. You'll also be circumventing Google's platform rules — which are very much against the practice. There have historically been sites with no spyware kept afloat by donations, but Google has taken most of those down — and it's not recommended to dive into the sketchy sites that remain. YouTube's Terms of Service (under Permissions and Restrictions) prohibit downloads of this sort, or the use of screen recording on videos, without permission from the rights holder, YouTube, and/or any applicable law.