How to download videos using a browser add-on or extension

Updated: 03/06/2020 by Computer Hope
Video sites

Many browsers support the ability for add-ons or extensions to be installed to download streaming videos.

Warning

Downloading streaming videos is not illegal, as long as you use the video in a manner that conforms to the video's license or terms of use. For example, many YouTube videos use the standard YouTube license, and some are licensed under Creative Commons. Check the license type by inspecting the information box underneath the video, as in the image below.

Find the YouTube license here, and comply with it when using any YouTube video.

For more information about viewing and using YouTube videos in accordance with copyrights, make sure to check Google's Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright and Fair Use on YouTube.

Download videos using a Firefox add-on

To download videos (including YouTube) using Firefox, we recommend the add-on called YouTube Download Plus. To install the add-on, follow the install process below.

In Firefox, navigate to the YouTube Download Plus add-on page, and click Add to Firefox.

To use the YouTube Download Plus Firefox add-on, click the Add to Firefox button.

When prompted by the browser to confirm installation, click Add.

Click the Add button to complete add-on installation.

The next time you go to a YouTube video page, you should notice a Download button below the video.

YouTube Download Plus adds a button to your YouTube pages, allowing you to download the video.

Tip

Click the red download arrow Download arrow at the top-right corner of the Firefox window to select and download the video as an MP4 file.

You are presented with a drop-down menu, where you select the option to download the video as an MP4 file. After selecting the MP4 option, several pages open and close, which are part of the MP4 conversion process.

On the "conversion finished" page, click the green Download button to save the MP4 file to your computer. After the download is complete, the file is available in your downloads folder.

Download videos using Chrome extensions

Note

Google does not allow any extension in Google Chrome to download YouTube videos. However, the example below does allow you to download videos from most other video sites.

For Google Chrome, we recommend installing the Video Downloader Professional extension. To download this extension, follow the install process below.

Visit the Video Downloader Professional extension on the Chrome web store.

Click the Add to Chrome Add to Chrome button button once open.

Click Add extension.

After installing the extension, if a video is available to download, a green down arrow Download arrow appears in the top-right corner of the window.