How to Download YouTube Videos on iPad

It's easier than you think

Smiling young woman with headphones drinking coffee and using digital tablet on bed

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by Stefanie Fogel
Stefanie Fogel has written about technology since 2009. Her work has appeared on Variety, Engadget, Polygon, and many other online publications.
Updated December 20, 2018

YouTube has billions of hours of streaming video to watch, but how do you download those Youtube videos to iPad? Maybe you're going on vacation in an area where internet and cell service is shaky and offline content is just what you need. Fortunately, downloading YouTube videos to iPad is fairly easy, and we'll show you how to do so without sketchy third-party apps.

How to Download YouTube Videos on iPad Via YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium is the platform's subscription service. It costs $11.99/month and offers ad-free videos and music, original series and movies, and offline viewing. YouTube offers a free 3-month trial if you want to test it out. Once you get your membership squared away, downloading YouTube videos to your iPad is simple.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you download videos to your iPad via YouTube Premium:

  • You need to be signed into your account to watch offline.
  • Some actions, like commenting and liking, aren't available in offline mode.
  • Downloaded videos renew automatically as long as you go online in your home country at least once every 30 days.
  • Some content may not be available for offline viewing once you reconnect to the internet due to video creator content restrictions.
  • You can only download videos in countries where YouTube Premium is available.

  1. Start watching the video on the YouTube or YouTube Gaming app.

  2. Tap Download below the video player.

    Downloading videos on YouTube Premium

    In the YouTube Gaming app, it's under Details.

  3. Choose your video quality, either 720p or 360p. The higher the quality, the more storage space you'll need.

    Video quality screen in YouTube app

  4. Tap OK.

  5. Once the download finishes, the Download icon will change to a check mark.

  6. Once downloaded, videos can be found in the Library or Account tabs. Tap the Download icon again to remove the video from your hard drive.

Should You Download YouTube Videos on iPad Via A Third-Party App?

While you can download YouTube videos to iPad via third-party software or websites, we really don't recommend it. For one thing, it may be illegal. At the very least, it violates Google's terms of service, which states people "shall not download any content unless [they] see a 'download' or similar link displayed by YouTube on the service for that content."

There's also another danger involved with third-party apps and websites: malware. While many apps on the App Store are safe, others can be dangerous and infect your mobile device with adware or ransomware.

Plus, downloading YouTube videos is immoral and takes money from Google and content creators. Better to play it safe and use YouTube Premium for your offline viewing.