Why can't I save videos directly from YouTube on iPhone?

Apple's App Store guidelines prohibit apps that download from YouTube without YouTube's consent. YouTube's own Premium tier is the only sanctioned offline-save option inside their app.

Where are downloaded videos saved?

iOS saves them to Files → On My iPhone → Downloads by default. From there you can move them to Photos, share them, or open them in any video app.

Does this work with YouTube Shorts?

Yes — the same paste-and-download flow handles Shorts. Save47 detects vertical Shorts and saves them in their native aspect ratio.

Can I get 4K on iPhone?

iPhones from the 11 Pro onward play 4K video natively. Save47 will offer 4K when the source video is 4K. If only 1080p is offered, the YouTube video itself was uploaded at 1080p maximum.

How to download YouTube videos on iPhone (2024)

Apple does not allow YouTube downloads inside the official YouTube app, and most third-party iOS apps that promised this feature got pulled from the App Store. The good news is the modern web is more than capable. Here are three methods that actually work in 2024 — ranked by speed.

Method 1 — Use Save47 in Safari (fastest, ~10 seconds)

Open the YouTube app, find the video, and tap Share.
Tap Copy Link.
Open Safari and go to save47.com.
Paste the link, pick MP4 quality, and tap the download arrow.
When the file finishes, Safari saves it to the Files app under Downloads.

Method 2 — Shortcuts app + the Save47 share target

If you do this often, build a one-tap Shortcut.

Open Shortcuts and tap +.
Add the action "Get URLs from Input".
Add "Get Contents of URL" with https://save47.com/?url= followed by the magic URL variable.
Add "Open URL" to send the result to Safari.
Save the shortcut as "Download with Save47".

Now in YouTube, Share → Download with Save47 and the file pulls automatically.

Method 3 — Files app + URL Scheme (advanced)

Power users can use the Save47 CLI on a Mac and AirDrop the file. This is the most reliable method for very large videos and bulk downloads, and the only one that supports 4K consistently.

Which method should I use?

One video, occasionally → Method 1 (Safari paste).
Many videos, daily → Method 2 (Shortcut).
Whole channels or playlists → Method 3 (CLI on a desktop).

Frequently asked questions about iPhone downloads

See the FAQ below for the most common iPhone-specific issues.