YouTube Download Not Working? 8 Fixes That Usually Help
Troubleshooting guide for stuck, failed or expired YouTube downloads: link problems, quality, browser settings and unsupported videos.
Choose a download tool
Check the video first
Open the link on YouTube in a private window. Private, deleted, live, members-only, age-restricted and region-locked videos cannot be prepared. Playlists are not supported; use a single video link.
Make sure the link is complete. Copy it again from the Share button.
Change the quality
Try 360p or 720p if 1080p fails. Lower qualities are often available when higher ones are not, and they are less likely to hit the 500 MB limit.
Videos over 30 minutes are not supported.
Fix link and browser problems
Download links last about ten minutes. If one stops working, prepare the video again. Keep the tab open while the file transfers, and disable data saver or battery saver modes that pause background transfers.
On iPhone use Safari; on Android use Chrome. Try another browser, turn off extensions that block downloads and make sure your device has free storage.
When the source is busy
Sometimes YouTube temporarily refuses requests. Wait a few minutes and try again, or try a different video to confirm the site is working. If the problem continues, contact us with the video link and the time it happened.
Conclusion
Check the video, lower the quality, refresh the link and use the right browser. Most problems clear up with one of these.
FAQ
Why is the preparing step slow?
The site contacts YouTube for a fresh source each time. It can take up to a minute for some videos.
Why does my link say expired?
Links last about ten minutes. Prepare the video again.
Does it work on every video?
No. Private, live, restricted, very long or very large videos are refused.