Chromebooks can run Android and Linux apps, so there are many possibilities. In this post, I will show you five different methods to download YouTube videos on Chromebooks. You can also use some Chromebook YouTube downloaders to download videos from other sites.
Online YouTube Downloader for Chromebook
If you only occasionally need to download videos from YouTube, you can use an online downloader. YT1D YouTube Video Downloader allows you to download videos and audio from YouTube.
YT1D will display quality options once you input the YouTube video URL like any other online downloader. You can choose to download audio only in MP3 or Video in MP4. It supports high-quality SQ, HD, 1080p, and even 4K.
YouTube Downloader Extension for Chromebook
A YouTube Downloader extension displays a download button on YouTube page for quick downloads. However, it is against Chrome Store policies to download videos from YouTube. You can either manually install Chrome extension from other source or use Addoncrop YouTube Video downloader extension.
You may follow the steps below to install Addoncrop YouTube Video Downloader extension:
Step 1. Get to the Addoncrop extension page by clicking the link.
Step 2. Click the Add to Chrome button.
Step 3. It will first install the Foxified extension. Once installed, it will automatically install the Addoncrop YouTube Video Downloader extension and you just need to click to grant access.
After that, you’ll see two extensions installed, Foxified and Addoncrop YouTube Downloader. Foxified allows you to import some Firefox addons to Chrome. This way, you can add a fully functional YouTube Downloader Chrome extension.
On the YouTube video playing page, Addoncrop extension will display a few icons below the video. Simply click the Download button to start the download. You can also explore other icons for more features.
For example, the Camera icon allows you to capture a screenshot of videos. The music icon enables you to convert YouTube video to MP3, the image icon for downloading YouTube Thumbnail, and the subtitle icon allows you to download subtitles in the language you prefer.
Android App NewPipe
Chromebooks allow you to enjoy a range of Android apps. NewPipe is an open source app for Android to download videos and watch YouTube without ads. Its commitment to privacy is evident as it does not require a YouTube account to function and does not track user activity.
However, the NewPipe app is not available in the Google Play Store. To install NewPipe on Chromebook, you can enable Developer Mode or Linux ADB. By using the Linux ADB feature, you need to copy the APK file to Linux folder.
After the installation, you can use it to search and play any YouTube video. Below the video, there is a download button and you can click on it to download the video. It allows you to select video quality and audio only.
NewPipe does not require you to login, namely, you cannot use it to watch and download private YouTube videos. You can import your YouTube subscription to NewPipe, so you won’t miss any of your favorite channels.
What’s more, It allows you to enjoy PIP feature and play YouTube in the backgroundNew. All in all, Pipe represents a significant step towards a more open and customizable YouTube streaming experience on Chromebooks.
iTubeGo for Android – Support YouTube Private Videos
iTubeGo Downloader is a multi-source video and music downloader for Android devices. You can also use it on Chromebooks. It offers a built-in browser for you to download private videos and other content that requires a login to access.
Besides YouTube, it allows you to download videos and MP3 music from Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Tiktok, MixCloud, etc. iTubeGo also supports batch download, so you can use it to download playlists from YouTube and Soundcloud.
Like NewPipe, you should download and install its APK. In addition, iTubeGo is also available for Windows and Mac. For detailed features, you can check this iTubeGo review post.
In conclusion, while the desire to download YouTube videos for offline viewing is understandable, it is crucial to respect the terms of service and the rights of content creators. Users should seek out legitimate methods provided by the platform to enjoy content offline and avoid potential legal and ethical issues associated with third-party downloaders.
Running YT-DLP on a Chromebook
You have probably heard of YT-DLP, a command-line program that downloads videos from YouTube and other platforms. Since Chromebooks can run Android apps and Linux apps, you can run yt-dlp via Linux command line or Terminal Android app.
Here I will show you how to use yt-dlp on a Chromebook Linux environment.
Step 1: Enable Linux on Your Chromebook
Before you can run YT-DLP, you need to enable the Linux (Beta) environment on your Chromebook. This can be done by going into your Chromebook’s settings, scrolling down to ‘Advanced,’ and then selecting ‘Developers.’ From there, you can turn on the Linux development environment.
Step 2: Install Python
YT-DLP is a Python program, so you’ll need Python installed in your Linux environment. You can install Python by opening the Linux terminal and typing:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install python3Step 3: Install YT-DLP
With Python installed, you can now install YT-DLP. In the Linux terminal, you can use the following command to install YT-DLP:
sudo wget https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -O /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp
sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/yt-dlpThis command installs YT-DLP using Python’s package manager pip.
Step 4: Download Videos
Now that YT-DLP is installed, you can start downloading videos. Simply use the command `yt-dlp` followed by the URL of the video you want to download. For example:
yt-dlp 'URL-of-the-video'You can explore YT-DLP’s extensive options to customize your downloads, such as specifying output formats or download quality. For 1080P to 8K YouTube videos with sound, you can also install FFMpeg on Chromebook.
If you prefer to use yt-dlp via Termux app, you can refer to this YT-DLP on Android post. For more detailed instructions and troubleshooting, you can refer to the official YT-DLP installation guide on GitHub or seek help from online forums and communities. Happy downloading!
Conclusion
With these 5 methods, you can easily download videos from YouTube on Chromebooks in any quality and format. Among them, the online tool is more convenient and iTubeGo supports more popular video and music platforms.