From music videos to educational lectures, YouTube is a place where everyone can find content to their liking. Sometimes, you may come across a video that you simply can’t lose and want to save for good, and there are two ways of doing so: download this video or screen record it. Most devices and operating systems have built-in functionalities that capture screens, and that’s what we’re about to cover. But first, let us show you an easier way.

Download a YouTube Video Instead of Recording It

The perk of this method is that you can download multiple videos at once if you want to save more than one video for good. But the secret weapon here is the right tool that can safely download as many videos as you need. 4K Video Downloader+ is such a tool, compatible with Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, and Android devices. It can download YouTube videos, playlists, and entire channels in a single click and convert YouTube videos to audio formats. Besides, it downloads subtitles of the video, so along with the clip itself, you also get its transcript.

Follow these steps to download a video from YouTube with 4K Video Downloader+.

1. Launch 4K Video Downloader+. It's available for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.

2. Copy the link to the YouTube video you want to download. Note that similarly you can copy the link of a playlist or a YouTube channel and download the whole bunch of videos.

3. Click the Paste Link button in the downloader.

Alternatively, you can use the in-app browser to look for and download any clip right within the application. The in-app browser also gives you access to private content, such as your Watch Later videos and private clips.

4. Select the format, quality, and output folder.

5. Click Download.

If you want to download a YouTube video as audio, you can easily do that too by changing the download format to MP3, M4A, or OGG.

How to Record a YouTube Video on iPhone/iPad

But if you’re still looking for a way to record a YouTube video, here you go—let’s cover the way to do that on iOS devices first.

Luckily, iPhones have a built-in recording feature that is super easy to find and use. Here’s how to record a YouTube video on your iPhone:

1. Turn off the screen recording functionality on your iPhone or iPad. To do this, open the device’s settings and go to the Control Center, and enable Screen Recording to add the record button to the Control Center for quick access.

2. Get back to your iPhone’s home screen and swipe down to open the Control Center. Find the white dot at the bottom of the screen — this is a screen recording icon. Press on it.

3. Open YouTube and find the video you want to record. If you press the white dot button from Step 2, your video is already being recorded. To stop the recording, swipe down again and press the white circle icon again — this will stop the recording. The video will then be saved to your photo library.

How to Record a YouTube Video on Android Devices

Just like iOS devices, Android phones also come with built-in screen recording functionality. Follow these steps to record a YouTube video on Android.

1. Open YouTube and find the video you want to capture.

2. Swipe down to unlock several icons and find Screen Recorder among them.

3. In case you can’t find it, tap the Edit button (or pencil icon) and drag Screen Recorder to the top.

4. Tap Start -> Screen Recorder to begin recording the YouTube video (and basically everything on your screen).

5. Click Stop to end the recording. The recorded file will be automatically saved to your Gallery.

How to Record a YouTube Video on Windows

Windows computers also have native screen recording solutions. For instance, there’s Game Bar on Windows 10, and here’s how you can use it to record a video from YouTube.

1. Head over to YouTube and open the video you want to record.

2. Press Windows + G to open the Game Bar.

3. Find the Record option and select it.

4. When you finish capturing the video, select the Stop Recording option.

The video will be automatically saved under the Game Bar. To find it, you’ll need to press Windows + G again and tap See My Captures.

How to Record a YouTube Video on Mac

Mac devices also have screen-capturing capabilities; QuickTime Player is one of the options. This player is often installed on Mac computers by default and is pretty versatile: you can use it as a regular video player and also as an audio or video recorder.

Here’s how to use QuickTime player to record a YouTube video on a Mac:

1. Open QuickTime player on your Mac.

2. Go to File -> New Screen Recording -> select either Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.

3. Open the YouTube video and play it. It will automatically be recorded by the QuickTime player.

Alternatively, you can simply press Shift + Command + 5 on your Mac and select Record Entire Screen.

Is It Legal to Record a YouTube Video: Instead of a Bottom Line

Generally, yes, it is legal to record a video on YouTube. But there are certain factors to consider regarding copyright and fair use laws. If the video contains copyrighted material (such as music, images, or video clips), you need to ensure you have the proper permissions to use that content.

Simply recording someone else's video without permission could potentially infringe upon their copyright.

Besides, YouTube has its own terms of service that users must adhere to. These terms outline what types of content are allowed on the platform and any restrictions on how that content can be used. Depending on where you are recording, there may be privacy laws to consider, especially if you're recording people without their consent in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.