How to Download YouTube Videos to Your Phone or Computer

July 7, 2026 · 2 min read · YouTube downloader

Copy the video’s share link, paste it into FastSaver’s YouTube downloader, pick a quality, and hit download. You get a real MP4 saved to your device, up to 4K if the original was uploaded that high. You don't need an app or an account, and it works the same in any browser on iPhone, Android, or desktop.

How to download a YouTube video

1. Copy the link. In the YouTube app, tap Share under the video and choose Copy link. On desktop, grab the URL straight from the address bar. Shorts links work too.
2. Paste it into fastsaver.io. Open the site and paste the link into the box. There’s a paste button if you don’t feel like long-pressing, and the site recognises YouTube links on its own.
3. Pick a quality. You’ll see whatever resolutions the video actually has, usually 720p, 1080p, and sometimes 4K. Only want the sound? Flip the audio-only toggle and you’ll get an MP3 instead.
4. Hit download. The file saves with a proper readable filename, not a random string of letters.
5. Find your file. On Android and desktop it lands in the Downloads folder. On iPhone, tap the download arrow in Safari, open the video from the Files app, then use the Share sheet and Save Video to put it in Photos.

Picking a quality

The quality list shows what the uploader actually provided. A video posted in 720p tops out at 720p, and 4K only appears when the original has it, so some videos offer fewer options than others.

For most people 1080p is the sensible default: sharp on phones and laptops without eating your storage. Take 4K for a big TV or footage you plan to edit, and 720p when space is tight. You can always download the same video again at a different quality later, so nothing is locked in.

If it’s only the audio you’re after, flip the toggle from step three. There’s a separate walkthrough on converting YouTube videos to MP3 if you want the details.

Limits worth knowing

Private and deleted videos won’t download, and neither will live streams or whole playlists. It’s one public video at a time. FastSaver is free and runs on donations, so there’s no paywall hiding behind the download button.

If you already pay for Premium on YouTube, its offline mode is the official option and it’s fine for watching on a flight. Those downloads only play inside the YouTube app though, and they vanish when your subscription ends. A downloaded file plays in any player and doesn’t expire.

Copyright still applies either way, so stick to your own uploads, openly licensed videos, or content you have permission to keep. Shorts use the same paste-and-download flow but have a couple of quirks of their own, covered in how to download YouTube Shorts.