Preliminary information
Before going into the details of the procedure on how to download youtube for free, I think it might interest you to know more about the general situation.
Well, in this sense you must know that YouTube has its own official application available for Android, iOS / iPadOS, TV and various other devices, such as set-top boxes, TV boxes and video game consoles. However, the Google-owned streaming platform is actually also available from computer through a special "app".
In fact, starting from 2021 the Mountain View company has made one available to users PWA (Progressive Web App). Put simply, the latter is an application that can be installed on a PC which however works in a very similar way to the classic official website.
In any case, what interests you is that, although there is no native program related to YouTube downloadable on a computer, there is still the possibility of using it through a PWA, by finding the relative desktop icon. In short, you don't have to worry much if you are not particularly practical: the installation procedure is simple in all cases.
Before starting with the directions, however, I would like to give you another information that could be useful to you. In fact, you must know that YouTube can be used both free of charge, with advertising, and through YouTube Premium: a subscription starting from 11,99 per month and allows you not to have advertising, as well as to download videos available from mobile devices.
How to download YouTube for free
After explaining the general situation to you, I would say that it is time to take action and see how to download the official YouTube application or PWA for free.
How to download YouTube for free on Android
The procedure for obtaining the official application of YouTube per Android it is very simple, at least for those devices that have the Play Store.
In fact, it is sufficient to simply start the latter, through theshopping bag icon present on the main screen of the device, use the search bar present at the top to search "Youtube", To tap on 'icona dell'app (a white Play button on a red background) and press the button INSTALL.
Be, invent, possiedi a device without Play Store, unfortunately I can't help you too much. In fact, YouTube is an application owned by Google and therefore it is necessary to have the related services in order to make it work without particular problems. Put simply, the APK installation method often doesn't work.
However, I remind you that there is the official web portal of the service, which you could think of using via a browser to view your videos. I recommend instead of stay away from third party applications that promise to log you into YouTube, as they could potentially jeopardize the security of your account.
You might also want to consider following my tutorial on how to put a website icon on your Home for create a shortcut which leads directly to YouTube. To be clear, if you usually use Google Chrome, a browser often pre-installed on many Android devices, just press thethree dots icon present at the top right and select the option Add to Home screen give the menu check if you press.
For the rest, I remind you that they also exist other applications related to the world of YouTube, all downloadable without problems from Play Store. More precisely, YouTube Kids is a variant of the official application that includes only and only content suitable for children, while YouTube Studio is the app designed for youtubers, since they can manage their own channel from it.
Finally, I suggest you take a look at my tutorials on how YouTube works, how to create a YouTube channel and how to upload videos to YouTube, in which I explained in detail how to use the famous video portal (and related apps) .
How to download YouTube for free on iOS / iPadOS
The procedure is not very difficult even as far as it is concerned iPhone e iPad. In fact, the application is totally free and available within the official Apple digital store.
To proceed, simply open theApp Store, select the tab Search use the search bar to search "Youtube" e fare tap sull 'icona dell'applicazione (i.e. a white Play button on a red background). After that, all you have to do is press the button Get and verify yours identity through Face ID, touch ID o password dell'ID Apple.
The system will automatically start the download and installation of the application, which you will then find on the main screen of your device. In short, nothing could be simpler: the indications to follow are very few as regards iOS.
I remind you also in this case, as already done for Android, that there are also YouTube Kids applications, with content for children, and YouTube Studio, to manage their own content.
For completeness of information, check out my guides on how YouTube works, how to create a YouTube channel, and how to upload videos to YouTube.
How to download YouTube for free on PC
If as far as Android and iOS are concerned, the procedures for installing the official YouTube application are known to many, the same cannot be said for the possibility of using the PWA (Progressive Web App) YouTube on PC.
It is in fact a possibility made available starting from 2021, which is still gaining ground. I have already explained the general situation in the preliminary chapter, so here I will simply explain to you how to install the PWA and have theyoutube icon on the desktop (or within the Launchpad, if you use a Mac), just as if it were a common program.
The only requirement is to use the browser Google Chrome or another based on the same engine, for example Microsoft Edge (Chromium). For the rest, the procedure from Chrome is simply to reach the official YouTube website, press on the appropriate installation icon present at the top of the URL bar and click on the button Install.
using Microsoft Edge based on Chromium, on the other hand, once you have reached the appropriate official YouTube portal, click onthree dots icon located at the top right, select the option Other tools and click on the item Pin to taskbar, in order to always find the appropriate icon in this position and access it quickly.
I just want to clarify that at the time of writing the YouTube PWA is still being tested by Google. This means that you may not find the appropriate option, as it is released for certain users depending on the needs of the developers.
In any case, for all the details of the case and for any alternative solutions, you can refer to my tutorial on how to install YouTube on PC, in which I went into more detail on the subject.
As in the case of mobile devices, even on PC I recommend you stay away from unofficial applications that require you to enter your Google account, as they could pose a potential privacy risk.
How to download YouTube for free on TV
How do you say? You would love to watch YouTube on yours Smart TV, by downloading the appropriate application for free? No problem, I'll tell you how to do it right away!
In this case, a lot depends on which manufacturer of your TV is. In fact, there are several operating systems for this world and therefore the procedure could change. However, usually you just need to connect the TV to the Internet, open it application store pre-installed, search "Youtube" inside and press the button Install related to the app in question.
For example, if you have a LG TV, just press the button Home on the remote control and scroll through the options below to find the application of YouTube, since the latter is often pre-installed within WebOS, which is the operating system used by the manufacturer.
If not, just press the button OK remote control iconLG Store, search for "Youtube" and install the appropriate one application. In short, this is nothing complex, especially if you have already downloaded other apps for what concerns your TV.
In any case, for any kind of doubt about the procedure, I suggest you refer to my tutorial on how to put YouTube on TV, in which I went into detail on the indications relating to the main television manufacturers.
If, on the other hand, you have a TV without Internet connectivity, you can buy Smart devices to be connected to one of the HDMI ports of the latter and thus access various online contents, including those of YouTube.
Google, for example, proposes chromecast: a device available in two versions: one Full HD which provides for the streaming of content (including YouTube) from smartphones, tablets and PCs; it's a 4K with Google TV operating system that requires the use of remote control and the installation of apps (including YouTube) directly on the device. .
Alternatively there is the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which consists of a "key" to be connected to the HDMI port of the TV and which supports the installation of various apps, including that of YouTube. It is available in Full HD and 4K version. In addition, the Fire TV Cube, which combines the features of the Fire TV Stick 4K with those of an Amazon Echo speaker.
See offer on Amazon See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonAnother interesting device
Also Apple TV, the multimedia box from Apple available in version HD e 4K, allows the installation of countless apps and access to various online content, including those of YouTube. It is controlled with a special remote control supplied as standard.
See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonTo conclude, I recommend that you also consider i TV Box Android, which allow you to install all apps for Android (including YouTube), and the video game console, as the PS4, which include the YouTube app.
See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonHow to download YouTube Music for free
Another application belonging to the YouTube universe is the one related to YouTube Music, which is Google's music streaming service (which has taken the place of Google Play Music). The YouTube Music application is free to download on both Android and iOS / iPadOS. On a computer, however, the service is accessible through the appropriate official website.
YouTube Music, which through its vast music catalog tries to challenge giants such as Spotify and Apple Music, can easily be used for free (with advertisements) or by subscription. In this case, the expected cost is 9,99 per month after the first month of free trial. The subscription allows you to download offline content on smartphones and tablets and also enable background playback.
For all the relevant information, I suggest you consult my tutorial on what YouTube Music is and how it works, since in the latter I have gone into detail about all the possibilities offered.
How to download YouTube for free