Can You Download YouTube Shorts?
YouTube's terms of service restrict downloading content that does not belong to you without explicit permission from the creator or a license to do so. There are three situations where downloading is clearly permitted or provided as an official feature:
Your own Shorts: Creators can download their own uploaded Shorts directly through YouTube Studio without restriction.
Offline viewing via YouTube Premium: YouTube Premium subscribers can save any Shorts for offline playback within the YouTube app. This does not create a file accessible outside the app.
Creative Commons licensed content: Some creators publish Shorts under Creative Commons licenses that explicitly permit downloading and reuse. Check the video's license before downloading.
Downloading others' content through third-party tools may violate YouTube's terms of service and applicable copyright law depending on your jurisdiction and intended use. This guide covers all three official methods and explains how third-party tools work for those who choose to use them, with the understanding that responsibility for compliance rests with the user.
Method 1: Download Your Own Shorts from YouTube Studio
YouTube Studio is the official creator dashboard and the only platform-native way to download Shorts as a local file without watermarks or restrictions. This method works for content you have uploaded to your own channel.
On desktop:
Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in to your YouTube account.
Click Content in the left navigation menu.
Select the Shorts tab to view only your Short-form videos.
Hover over the Short you want to download.
Click the three-dot menu icon that appears on the video thumbnail.
Select Download from the dropdown menu.
The file downloads to your default browser download folder in its original format.
On mobile (YouTube Studio app):
Open the YouTube Studio app on your phone and sign in.
Tap Content at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the Shorts tab.
Tap the three-dot menu next to the Short you want to save.
Select Save to device.
The file saves to your device's local storage or camera roll depending on your operating system.
Files downloaded through YouTube Studio are the original uploaded versions without added watermarks. This is the recommended method for creators who need a local backup of their published content.
Method 2: Save YouTube Shorts for Offline Viewing with YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is YouTube's subscription service that includes an offline download feature for videos, including Shorts. Downloaded content is accessible inside the YouTube app only and cannot be transferred to other applications or devices.
Steps to save a Short offline with YouTube Premium:
Open the YouTube app on your phone and locate the Short you want to save.
Tap the three-dot menu in the corner of the video while it is playing.
Select Download from the options shown.
The Short saves to your Library section under Downloads.
Access saved Shorts by going to Library > Downloads in the YouTube app.
Offline downloads through Premium expire if the subscription lapses or if the creator removes the video. They are intended for personal offline viewing within the YouTube app and do not create transferable files.
Method 3: Download YouTube Shorts on Desktop Using a Browser Tool
Third-party web-based tools allow users to download publicly available Shorts as local files by pasting the video URL. These tools work in a browser without requiring software installation.
Step-by-step:
Open YouTube in your browser and navigate to the Short you want to download.
Copy the URL from the browser address bar. It will contain "shorts" in the path, for example: youtube.com/shorts/VIDEOID.
Open a browser-based YouTube Shorts downloader in a separate tab.
Paste the copied URL into the input field on the downloader page.
Click the Download or Fetch button to retrieve the available formats.
Select MP4 as the format and choose your preferred resolution, typically 1080p for the highest quality available.
Click the download link and save the file to your chosen folder.
Tips for desktop downloads:
Use a browser with an ad blocker active when visiting third-party download sites to reduce exposure to intrusive redirects.
Verify that the downloaded file plays correctly in a media player before deleting the browser tab.
Save files to a dedicated folder so downloaded Shorts are easy to locate and manage.
Check the file size before downloading; Shorts are typically small files under 50MB even at high resolution.
On Mac specifically: if the file downloads as a .webm file rather than MP4, use a free converter tool to convert it before use in video editing applications that do not support .webm.
Method 4: Download YouTube Shorts on Android and iPhone
Mobile downloads use either the YouTube app's built-in offline feature (Premium required) or a mobile browser to access a web-based downloader.
On Android:
Open the YouTube app and find the Short you want to save.
Tap Share below the video and select Copy link.
Open your mobile browser and navigate to a web-based YouTube Shorts downloader.
Paste the link into the downloader's input field.
Select MP4 and your preferred resolution.
Tap Download and confirm any browser prompt to save the file.
The file saves to your Downloads folder or the location specified in your browser settings.
On iPhone (iOS):
Open YouTube and tap Share on the Short, then select Copy link.
Open Safari or Chrome and go to a web-based YouTube Shorts downloader.
Paste the link and select MP4 format.
Tap the download link. iOS may open the file in a preview rather than saving it directly.
If the file opens in a preview, tap the Share icon and select Save to Files or Save Video to add it to your Photos or Files app.
Alternatively, use a browser that supports direct downloads to your Files app.
Note on iOS file handling: iPhone does not always save video files directly to the Photos app from a browser download. Using the Files app as the save destination and then moving the file to Photos afterward is the most reliable approach.
Download YouTube Shorts as MP4 Without Watermark
The format and watermark situation depends on which method is used.
YouTube Studio downloads: These are the original uploaded files without added watermarks. The format depends on what was originally uploaded, but most modern Shorts are available as MP4.
YouTube Premium offline saves: These are not accessible as separate files and cannot be used outside the YouTube app, so format and watermark are not relevant considerations.
Third-party downloader tools: Some tools add a watermark to the downloaded file, either as a promotion for the tool itself or as a result of re-encoding the video. To avoid watermarks from the tool, check user reviews or test with a public-domain video before downloading content you intend to use. Select a tool that downloads the original video stream rather than re-encoding it.
Best format choice: MP4 is the most widely compatible video format for editing, sharing, and playback across devices and applications. When a downloader offers multiple format options, MP4 at 1080p is the recommended selection for most use cases. 720p is sufficient for viewing and reduces file size if storage is limited.
What to Do After Downloading a YouTube Short
Once a Short is saved locally, several workflows become available that are not possible with streaming-only access.
Transcribe the spoken content
Downloaded Shorts can be uploaded to Smart noter's video to text feature to convert the spoken audio into a searchable text transcript. This is useful for researchers, journalists, content creators, and educators who need the spoken content in written form for analysis, quoting, or repurposing.
Summarize the key points
For educational Shorts, product demonstrations, or instructional content, Smart noter's YouTube Video Summarizer can process the video and extract the main points into a structured summary. Rather than rewatching the full Short, the summary gives immediate access to what was covered. This also works for longer YouTube videos where a Short introduced a topic that a full video expands on.
Learn more about summarizing YouTube content
If you regularly save and review YouTube content for research or study, the guide on how to summarize a YouTube video covers the full workflow for extracting key information from both long videos and Shorts using AI tools.
Organize and archive
Rename downloaded files with descriptive titles, dates, and topic tags before storing them. A consistent naming convention makes it easier to retrieve specific Shorts later without opening each file. Store files in folders organized by topic, project, or creator to build a usable archive rather than a single folder of generically named video files.
