How to Easily Download Streaming Video on Any Platform

Stumbled upon an interesting video but you don’t have time to watch it now? You should know that it’s possible to download it for later/offline viewing, even if you found it on streaming platforms, which don’t natively allow you to do that unless you pay for a subscription. This article shows you how you can grab videos from any online platform using your device.

1. Get a Video Downloading Extension

Video DownloadHelper (Firefox | Chrome) is a good example of an extension that helps you download videos directly from your browser. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Once you install it on your PC, navigate to the video you wish to get on your device.
2. Tap on the extension’s dedicated button shown next to the browser’s address bar.

3. The extension should have automatically detected the video.
4. Select the resolution you wish to download, click on the right-pointing arrow to bring up a panel of options, and select “Quick Download.”

5. Depending on the video you’re trying to download, you may be required to get a companion application to help get the job done. On the other hand, some videos can be downloaded directly from the browser (for instance, videos from Reddit).

6. If you need to download the application, do so. If not, select the “Use browser” option to immediately start downloading your video.

2. Use an Online Video Download Service

If you don’t feel like installing an extension or another application on your PC, you can always download your videos using an online website. One of the best available is Savefrom, as it lets you grab videos from a truckload of websites.

1. Navigate to the Savefrom website on your PC.
2. Go to the website hosting your video and copy the link.
3. Go back to Saveform and paste the link in the address bar in the middle of the page.

4. Click on the green “Download” button.
5. Select the resolution you wish to use for your download by pressing on the downward arrow on the white button to bring up all the options.

6. Press “Download” to start grabbing the video.

3. Download Streaming Video with a Third-Party Application (Windows)

A desktop-based download might offer a superior experience when it comes to video downloading for a number of reasons. These include being able to do multiple downloads, no limitations on video length or resolution and better privacy controls, just to name a few. On the other hand, some of these services are paid or come with limited features when used for free.

One of the many options available is 4K Video Downloader. This is an easy-to-use software that lets you download videos by copy/pasting the link to a video (or a playlist). We also have a full tutorial on how you can get started using 4K Video Downloader.

For those who are looking to download videos in bulk, JDownloader may be the better choice for you. This is an open-source download manager with a large community of developers backing it up. Follow the steps below if you wish to grab all the videos from a page.

1. Navigate to a page with multiple videos on it.
2. Allow JDownloader to scan the page by going to the “File -> Analyze Text with Links” option.

3. The link to the page should already be there. If it’s not, copy/paste it, then click “Continue.”

4. Let JDownloader find all the links.

5. Once the process finishes, click on “Link grabber” to view a list of every downloadble item on that page – not just videos.

6. Find the videos you want to download and right-click to bring up a list of options, then press “Start download” to get the process started.

4. Download Streaming Video with VLC

You may not be aware that VLC, the program many use to watch movies and TV shows, allows you to download videos off all kinds of streaming websites. The process is relatively simple:

1. Open VLC on your PC.
2. Go to “Media -> Open Network Stream” and paste the link to the video you want to download.

3. Enter the link into the “Network Protocol URL” section.

4. Click on the downward arrow next to the Play button and select the option to Stream.

5. A new “Stream Output” window will open. Click the “Next” button.

6. In the “Destination Setup” window, the option File should be enabled. Click “Add” to save your file using a name of your choosing and a location you set.

7. In the “Transcoding Output” panel, check the “Activate Transcoding” option and press “Next.”

8. Click “Stream” for the downloading process to start.

5. The Advanced Streaming Video Downloading Option

Youtube-dl is a solution for more advanced users. If you are comfortable using the command line, you should check it out, as it allows you to download videos from any platform. It’s perhaps the most comprehensive tool on this list, but there’s a pretty non-negligible learning curve to be considered here.

There are tons of tutorials online that teach you the steps, and of course you can go through the documentation as well. However, this may not be something for everyone. For this reason we recommend that you use youtube-dl-gui, which is an unofficial front-end user interface available for Windows and Linux. See the steps below.

1. Once in the program’s interface, copy/paste a link to a video in the “Enter URLs below” field. You can input links to playlists or multiple links to single videos as well.

2. Click the “Add” button.

3. Select the format you want for the downloaded video.

4. Tap on the Start button in the bottom-right corner of the display.

6. Use Android’s Native Screen Record Option

Those who have an Android device running Android 10 and above have a native option that allows them to grab videos for their private offline use. It’s called Screen Recorder, and as the name suggests, it allows you to record the screen while a video is playing.

1. Swipe from the top of the screen to bring up the “Quick Settings” menu on your Android device.
2. Find the “Screen Recorder” quick tile and tap on it to activate it. (You may have to swipe for the second page.)

3. Once you’ve activated the option, a small floating bar with a red button will show up on your display.
4. Open the video streaming app or go to the website that features the video you wish to download.

5. Start playing the video and switch to full screen, then quickly tap on the red button to begin the recording.
6. When it’s time to stop the recording, simply press the “Pause” button and the square white button to finish up the recording.
7. The video will automatically be saved to your device’s gallery. You can check it out from there.

For those on older versions of Android, you can bypass this restriction by installing a third-party app from this list to take care of your screen-recording needs or see below.

7. Use Video Downloader for Android

You can also use Video Downloader, an app that allows you to grab videos off your favorite sites while on your Android device. Here’s how to do so:

1. Navigate to the page where the video(s) are available using the app. Alternatively, copy/paste the video URL to the address bar. You may have to log in with your account on certain websites.

2. Tap on the red download button which appears on the video page.
3. Select the desired quality.

4. Your video should start downloading.
5. Navigate to the “Finished” tab.

6. Tap on the three dots next to the downloaded video to select an additional action. You can “Move it to a locked folder” or Share. If you wish to find the video on your device, select “Download location.”

Alternatively, you can use a similar app which is called All Video Downloader, which works in similar fashion by allowing you to paste the link to the video or navigate straight to it from within the app.

8. Use an Online Video Streaming Downloader on Android

On Android, you can also quickly download a video by accessing one of the websites that offers this service in your mobile browser. For instance, Savefrom, which is also available as an mobile app. You will, however, have to download it as an apk. If you don’t want to do that, you can always download via your mobile browser.

1. Navigate to Savefrom in your Chrome app (or preferred browser).
2. Paste a link to a video you wish to download in the address bar, then press the right-facing arrow button to start the download.

3. Select the desired quality for the download.

4. Press the “Download” button.
5. Your video should start downloading.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it legal to download videos from sites such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube?

Technically, no. YouTube’s Term of Service (ToS), for instance, states that users are not allowed to “access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, license, alter, modify, or otherwise use any part of the Service or any Content except: a) as expressly authorized by the Service or b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders.”

However, it’s not illegal to download videos for personal use – just remember you hold no rights over the videos you’ve not created. Therefore, you should abstain from sharing them as your own or distributing them in any other way.

2. How can I transfer the downloaded videos to my phone?

You have multiple options: install a cloud hosting service such as Google Drive or Dropbox on both your computer and phone. Read on to learn of the others ways to transfer files from your phone to your desktop.

3. Do I need one of these websites/apps for any video I wish to download?

No, but to grab content from major streaming websites and others you’ll need to use one of the tools on our list. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, TikTok allows you to easily download videos off the platform.

Now that you know how to download your favorite videos, then perhaps you’d also like to find out how to grab specific types of media such as Reels from Instagram. Alternatively, you may find it useful to read about downloading your own YouTube videos.