Strategies for Adding Value: YouTube’s Card System

How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Unleashing Content: Effortless Download of Youtube Video for iOS

A Complete Guide to Downloading YouTube Videos to iPhone or iPad

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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