How to download YouTube videos: what YouTube itself offers and why downloader sites aren’t worth it

Search for “download YouTube video” in Georgian and you mostly get downloader sites. This is the fourth piece in the series, after Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Everything here comes from YouTube’s Help Center and Terms as of November 2026.

1 / 5The official way: Premium

1. 01
   Downloading

   With Premium there’s a Download button under each video, and it plays without internet — on your phone, and on a computer in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera.

2. 02
   Available in Georgia

   Both Premium and the cheaper Premium Lite are available in Georgia. Since February 2026, Lite includes downloads too — for most videos, except Shorts and music.

3. 03
   It’s not a file

   A downloaded video doesn’t show up in your gallery: it’s encrypted and only plays in the YouTube app on the same account. You can’t download audio or MP3s from the app.

4. 04
   29 days

   Downloads play offline for up to 29 days (48 hours in some countries); then your phone has to reconnect. If the creator removes the video, it disappears from your device too.

5. 05
   Free offline viewing

   YouTube keeps a list of countries where some videos can be downloaded for free, and Georgia is on it. The same page says that where Premium is available, downloads are watched through Premium — so check what the app shows you.

2 / 5Your own videos

1. 06
   YouTube Studio

   Download your own video as an MP4: YouTube Studio › Content › the video › ⋮ › Download. You get 720p or 360p depending on the video size, up to 5 downloads per video a day.

2. 07
   When it won’t work

   If the video was removed, has a copyright or Community Guidelines strike, or uses a preapproved audio track.

3. 08
   Originals via Takeout

   To get all your videos at once in their original format, use Google Takeout. The archive takes anywhere from minutes to a few days and expires after about 7 days.

3 / 5What YouTube’s rules say

1. 09
   Downloading is prohibited

   Under YouTube’s Terms, you may not download content except as expressly authorized by the service or with prior written permission from YouTube and the rights holder.

2. 10
   No getting around protections

   The Terms ban circumventing copy protection and accessing the service by automated means, such as robots and scrapers.

3. 11
   Creative Commons

   Videos under the Creative Commons Attribution license can be reused with credit: title, author, link and license. You can find them with a search filter. For anything else, YouTube can’t grant you rights — contact the creator.

4. 12
   Remixing in Shorts

   The official way to use a clip or sound from someone else’s video is Remix in Shorts, which links back to and credits the original.

4 / 5Someone else’s video on your channel

1. 13
   Content ID

   Every upload is scanned automatically. A claim can block the video or send its revenue to the rights holder.

2. 14
   Three strikes

   A copyright strike means a video was removed after a legal request from the rights holder. Three strikes in 90 days and your channel is terminated, and you can’t create a new one.

3. 15
   “I don’t own this” won’t help

   Phrases like “all rights go to the author” or “no infringement intended” don’t protect you. Fair use is a US legal concept, and courts decide it.

4. 16
   Monetization

   YouTube removes monetization from channels that post other people’s content without significant original input — even with the creator’s permission.

5 / 5Downloader sites and apps

1. 17
   Third-party apps

   YouTube says it only lets third-party apps use its API if they follow its terms, and acts against those that don’t. If an app says the content isn’t available, switch to the official app.

2. 18
   Harmful files

   According to YouTube, malware usually arrives through programs from untrusted sources, fake updates and password-protected archives with .scr and .exe files.

3. 19
   “You have a virus”

   Chrome warns that some sites claim you have a virus to get you to download harmful software. Google Safe Browsing shows a red warning on dangerous sites.

4. 20
   Your password

   YouTube never asks for your password by email, message or phone call. Only enter your Google password at myaccount.google.com.

✓The bottom line

The official way to download YouTube videos is Premium or Premium Lite — both available in Georgia — but the video stays in the app rather than becoming a file. Your own videos download from YouTube Studio or via Google Takeout. YouTube’s Terms prohibit downloading other people’s videos, and re-uploading them ends in Content ID claims and strikes.

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