How to download YouTube Shorts
You download YouTube Shorts by copying the Short's share link and saving it through a web converter as MP4—or MP3 if you only need the audio. Shorts are normal YouTube videos under 60 seconds in a vertical player; there's no separate "Shorts API" for viewers, just a URL that looks like youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID. I grab Shorts for reaction compilations, recipe cards I want offline, and clips I need to stitch in CapCut. This is the full guide: phone and desktop steps, quality notes for 9:16 video, and why screen recording is worse.
Table of contents
- What counts as a YouTube Short?
- Copy the correct Short URL
- Download Shorts as MP4 (all devices)
- Download Shorts audio only
- Phone-specific tips (iOS vs Android)
- Desktop: batch workflow for creators
- Shorts vs screen recording
- Limits and blocks
- FAQ
What counts as a YouTube Short?
For how to download youtube shorts, know what you're targeting:
- Vertical video, usually 9:16 aspect ratio
- Often under 60 seconds (YouTube's Shorts bucket)
- Lives at
youtube.com/shorts/…or regular/watch?v=if shared that way
Download tools treat Shorts like any other public video. No extra watermark is added by YouTube on save—unlike some TikTok reposts.
| Output | Typical 30-sec Short | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 720p | 8–20 MB | Re-edit, offline watch |
| MP4 1080p | 15–35 MB | Text-heavy Shorts |
| MP3 192 kbps | ~1.2 MB | Music or voice only |
Copy the correct Short URL
Wrong link = failed download.
On phone (YouTube app):
- Open the Short (swipe feed or open from channel).
- Tap Share.
- Tap Copy link. Should contain
/shorts/oryoutu.be.
On desktop:
- Click Share on the Short.
- Copy link—or copy from address bar while the Short plays full-screen.
Don't copy a playlist URL or a comment link. Paste into YouTube to MP4 exactly as copied.
Download Shorts as MP4 (all devices)
Universal flow:
- Copy Short URL.
- Open YouTube to MP4 converter in Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
- Paste. Select 720p (enough for phone screens; 1080p if text is tiny).
- Convert. Download MP4.
Windows/Mac: File in Downloads. Import to Premiere, DaVinci, or Clipchamp.
iPhone: After download in Safari → Save to Files.
Android: Downloads folder or notification tap.
Most Shorts process in seconds—they're short by design.
Download Shorts audio only
Meme sound, song snippet, quote:
- Copy Short URL.
- YouTube to MP3.
- 192 kbps for music, 128 kbps for voice.
- Save.
Under one minute of audio is rarely more than 2 MB at 192 kbps.
Phone-specific tips (iOS vs Android)
iPhone: Shorts copied from the app sometimes open in the in-app browser when you paste—use Safari explicitly. Files app is your friend; Photos won't always see raw MP4 from Downloads.
Android: Share → Copy link → Chrome converter is the smoothest chain I've used. Some OEMs aggressively delete "unknown" downloads—check battery/data saver isn't killing background tabs.
For one-Short quick saves, see also how to download a YouTube Short—shorter page, same core steps.
Desktop: batch workflow for creators
Researching competitors or saving reference Shorts:
- Open each Short in a tab. Copy links into a notes file.
- Convert one at a time via YouTube to MP4—no playlist batch for Shorts feeds.
- Rename on download:
channel-topic-date.mp4. - Trim in video trimmer if you only need a segment.
Respect copyright—downloading others' Shorts to re-upload is a strike waiting to happen.
Shorts vs screen recording
| Method | Quality | UI clutter | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| URL → MP4 converter | Clean source | None | Clean |
| Screen record | Compression, notch bars | Likes, captions burned in | Room noise risk |
Screen recording is a fallback when the Short is DRM-blocked or unlisted. Otherwise URL wins.
Limits and blocks
- Private / unlisted Shorts you can't open won't convert
- Age-gated content needs YouTube sign-in
- Music label blocks affect some Shorts the same as full videos
- Deleted Shorts return "video unavailable"
Third-party apps promising "Shorts downloader no ads" in random APKs—skip them. Browser + Videozify avoids malware.
Legal: YouTube's Terms of Service restrict unauthorized downloads. Personal reference, your own Shorts, and permitted content only.
Conclusion
Copy the Short link, paste into YouTube to MP4, download, save to Files or Downloads. Use MP3 path for audio-only. Skip screen recording unless the link path fails.
Download your next Short with our free YouTube to MP4 converter—vertical video, no watermark, no signup.