You can download purchased or rented YouTube Movies for offline viewing only in the YouTube mobile app. Free-with-ads titles are not downloadable. Rentals typically expire in 48 hours after playback starts (or 30 days since rent).
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Unlike other streaming services, YouTube combines OTT content with common video sharing. It may not be the biggest streaming site, but it can be regarded as the largest video site. However, it imposes limitations and encryptions on different kinds of movies and TV shows, which means you can only watch the movies in poor 480p online. So, how to download paid or rented YouTube movies in 1080p to watch without an internet connection?
In this article, we will show you the official method and a professional third-party method to help you download YouTube movies without quality loss.
Can You Download YouTube Movies?
Yes, you can. But note that the official limitations affect you if you can use the official download function. If you don't know why you can't download the just-purchased YouTube movies & shows like Nobody or Small Things Like These, check if these limitations are blocking the way.
- The download feature is only available for iOS 11 and Android 16.23 or higher
- Download devices quota up to five for purchased/rented YouTube movies
- Free-with-ads YouTube movies are undownloadable
- Rented movies and TV show episodes can only be downloaded on one device at a time.
- UHD quality is not available for download
- Not supporting batch download of multiple episodes
- Rented YouTube movies expire in 48 hours after starting to play or in 30 days total.
- Offline downloads are tied to your account and device quota. UHD downloads aren’t available in the official app, and only one device can keep a rental at a time.
How to Download YouTube Movies?
1. Download YouTube Movies via the YouTube App
The official way to download YouTube movies is to use the YouTube app. The download function is not just open to YouTube Premium subscribers. As long as you paid or rented the movies you’re interested in on YouTube, they can be downloaded on a mobile device and watched offline.
To download rented or paid YouTube movies to your phone, you can follow these steps:
Download and install the YouTube app on your mobile device. Log in to it and make sure you have already purchased or rented the movie you want.
Move to "Your movies & TV". Press the movie you prefer. Then you can see a download button below the movie cover image.
Hit the download button to start downloading. Wait for a while, and then you can view the YouTube movies you rented or purchased offline.
- Only trailer shows: make sure the title is purchased/rented under the same account.
- “Wi-Fi only” blocks downloads: turn it off under Background & Downloads.
- Device quota reached: remove downloads from an old device before trying again.
- Only 480p available: movie downloads in the app don’t support UHD.
- Rental expired: start within 30 days and finish within 48 hours after playback.
Now you know how to download YouTube movies officially, for the rented and purchased ones. Then what if you want to download YouTube videos in higher quality?
2. Download YouTube Movies in 1080p via StreamFab
If you want to enjoy FHD quality rented and purchased YouTube movies, a third-party YouTube movie downloader can make the deal.
StreamFab YouTube Downloader Ultimate is a dedicated, comprehensive video download tool designed to download all kinds of YouTube movies and videos on Windows and macOS, including rented, purchased, or free movies. With cutting-edge techniques enhanced, this downloader can save YouTube movies in lossless 1080p to DRM-free MP4/MKV formats, save YouTube videos up to 8k UHD, without any device limit or expiration.
- Download YouTube movies and shows in up to 1080p with AAC 2.0 stereo audio
- Rip common YouTube videos up to 8k with HDR
- Support downloading 360° YouTube videos
- Save YouTube movies locally forever as regular non-encrypted MP4 or MKV files
- Remove all ads from free YouTube movies to provide a pure offline viewing experience
- Batch download YouTube movies in the queue with minimal effort
- A clean built-in browser for simple and effective operations
To download YouTube movies with StreamFab, make sure you can access the YouTube movies you want. Then you can follow this step-by-step guide:
Log in to it with your YouTube account. Move to the Movies & TV section to play the movie or TV show you want for offline viewing.
A video analysis window will show up. Wait for it, which usually takes a few seconds, depending on your internet speed.
After the analysis, a download window pops up with options on resolution, video codec, audio, subtitles, etc.
Official App vs StreamFab: Feature Comparison
| Criteria | YouTube App (Official) | StreamFab |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible Content | Purchased/Rented only | Movies & common videos |
| Max Quality | Up to 480p (movies) | Movies up to 1080p; videos up to 8K HDR |
| File Type | Encrypted, app-locked | DRM-free MP4/MKV |
| Device & Expiration | Device quota & rental expiry | No device limit & no expiry |
| Batch Download | Not supported | Supported (queue) |
| Complexity | Very easy | Easy (built-in browser) |
| Compliance Notes | Personal offline use only | Personal offline use only |
* Availability of 1080p/8K depends on the source quality.
FAQs
No. Premium helps with ad-free viewing and downloads for commonly user-uploaded videos, but not paid Movies & TV rentals/purchases.
Check if you’re on the mobile app, signed into the purchasing account, and the title is still within the rental or ownership period. Free-with-ads movies are not downloadable.
No. App downloads are encrypted and may expire. With StreamFab, downloads are saved as DRM-free MP4/MKV for long-term offline playback.
The available quality depends on the source. The official app limits movies, while StreamFab supports up to 1080p for movies and 8K for common videos when the source allows.
Nope. For rental or purchase of required YouTube movies, they are only downloadable on your phone after you have finished the payment.
However, StreamFab YouTube Movies Downloader provides a trial that allows you to download 3 YouTube movies for free, no matter whether the movies are rented, purchased, or free with ads.
Wrap-up
If you want to watch movies from YouTube in high quality without annoying buffering, downloading them can really help. I’d only use these tricks for myself, and I wouldn’t try making money off someone else’s work, so it seems only fair to the folks who made the videos in the first place. Honestly, I hope these steps make it easier for you to grab YouTube movies or TV episodes and enjoy them in a satisfying quality.
