# How to Download YouTube Shorts to Your Phone or PC > Copy the Short's link, paste it into a YouTube Shorts downloader and save the MP4 with sound. iPhone, Android, PC and Telegram steps, and why some fail. - URL: https://storiesfly.com/blog/how-to-download-youtube-shorts - Published: 2026-10-26 - Topic: Downloading - Publisher: StoriesFly (https://storiesfly.com) ## How do you download YouTube Shorts? Copy the Short's link with the Share button, paste it into the [YouTube Shorts downloader](/youtube-shorts-downloader) and press the button. You get one MP4 with sound, at up to 720p, usually in a second or two. No sign-up and no YouTube account. It works for public Shorts only: private, age-restricted, members-only and deleted videos can't be saved this way. YouTube's own Download button (with Premium) is not the same thing. It keeps the video inside the YouTube app for offline viewing; you don't get a file you can put in your gallery, edit or send. ## How to copy a YouTube Shorts link - **In the YouTube app:** while the Short is playing, tap Share on the right-hand side (the arrow icon under the comments button) and choose Copy link. The link looks like `youtube.com/shorts/AbCdEf12345` or `youtu.be/AbCdEf12345`. - **In a browser:** open the Short and copy the address bar. All three forms work: `youtube.com/shorts/ID`, `youtu.be/ID` and `youtube.com/watch?v=ID`. A channel link (`youtube.com/@name/shorts`) or a playlist link won't work, because the tool needs one specific video. ## How to download YouTube Shorts on iPhone 1. In the YouTube app, tap Share on the Short and then Copy link. 2. Open Safari and go to the [Shorts downloader](/youtube-shorts-downloader). 3. Paste the link and press the button. 4. Tap download on the result and confirm in Safari. 5. The video is saved to the Files app, in the Downloads folder. To get it into Photos: open the video in Files, tap the Share icon and choose Save Video. Now it's in your camera roll and you can use it in any editor. If Safari plays the video instead of saving it, tap Share in the player and pick Save Video, or long-press the download button and choose Download Linked File. ## How to download YouTube Shorts on Android 1. In the YouTube app, tap Share and Copy link. 2. Open Chrome, go to the downloader page, paste the link and tap the button. 3. Tap download. Chrome shows a notification when the file is ready. The MP4 goes to the Downloads folder. Google Photos and most built-in gallery apps show it automatically, usually in a Downloads album. If you can't find it, open the Files app and look in Downloads. ## How to download YouTube Shorts on a computer 1. Open the Short on youtube.com and copy the address from the address bar. 2. Paste it on the [YouTube Shorts downloader](/youtube-shorts-downloader) page and press the button. 3. Click download. The file goes to your browser's downloads folder. If the video opens in a new tab and plays, right-click it and choose Save video as. ## Can I download Shorts with a Telegram bot? Yes. Send the link to [@instanavy_bot](https://t.me/instanavy_bot) and it sends the Short back as a normal Telegram video. Open it, tap the three dots and choose Save to Gallery (Save Video on iPhone), or forward it straight to someone. The limit to know is Telegram's: bots can't send files bigger than 50 MB. Most Shorts are far below that, but a long Short in good quality can go over. The bot tells you when that happens, and the website will still give you the file. If you send more than about 20 links in ten minutes, the bot asks you to wait a few minutes; otherwise there's no daily limit. | Where | What you do | Where the file ends up | |---|---|---| | iPhone, Safari | Paste the link on the site, tap download | Files → Downloads, then Save Video to Photos | | Android, Chrome | Paste the link on the site, tap download | Downloads folder, usually shown in the gallery | | Computer | Paste the link on the site, click download | Browser downloads folder | | Telegram bot | Send the link to the bot | In the chat; Save to Gallery from there | ## What quality do downloaded Shorts have? Up to 720p, with sound. Many Shorts are kept in a lower quality, so 480p is common: a 30-second Short we checked came back at 480p and about 4 MB, in about a second. On a phone screen that's watchable; for editing on a big monitor it will look soft. There's no 1080p or 4K option. There's no watermark. Downloaded Shorts don't get a YouTube logo or a channel name stamped on them. If the creator put their handle into the video itself, it stays. ## Can I download only the audio from a Short? Not with this tool. It gives one MP4 with video and sound, not an MP3. If you need the track, check the sound's name under the Short: music used in Shorts is usually a known song you can find on a music service. ## Does it work for regular YouTube videos? It's made for Shorts. A `watch?v=` link to a short clip will usually work, but long regular videos may not, and even if they did, a long video won't fit through the Telegram bot. ## Why won't a YouTube Short download? - **The video is private.** Only the owner and people they shared it with can watch it. The tool opens videos the same way a logged-out visitor does, so it sees what you would see without signing in. - **It's age-restricted.** YouTube asks to sign in and confirm age before showing it. A logged-out visitor can't watch it, so it can't be downloaded here. - **It's members-only.** These videos are for paying channel members only. - **It was deleted or the channel was removed.** If YouTube shows "Video unavailable", the file is gone. - **It's blocked in some countries.** A Short the uploader or YouTube restricted by region may not be available. - **It's a channel or playlist link.** Open one Short and copy its own link. - **The bot said the file is too large.** Download it from the website instead; there's no 50 MB limit there. ## Can I repost downloaded Shorts? Downloading a Short to rewatch, keep offline or show a friend is what most people do. Reposting it on your own channel is different: ask the creator, credit them, and remember YouTube and other platforms take down reuploads after copyright complaints. If you also make clips for other platforms, the same approach works for [TikTok videos](/tiktok-video-downloader) and [Instagram Reels](/instagram-reels-download). ## FAQ ### Can I download YouTube Shorts without an app? Yes. Copy the Short's link, open the YouTube Shorts downloader on StoriesFly in any browser, paste the link and press the button. You don't need to install anything or sign in to YouTube. ### Do downloaded Shorts have a watermark? No. The MP4 comes with no YouTube logo or channel name added. Text or a handle that the creator put into the video itself stays, because it's part of the picture. ### Why is my downloaded Short only 480p? Many Shorts are kept in a lower quality, and the tool gives what's available, up to 720p. A 30-second Short we checked came back at 480p and about 4 MB. A higher quality can't be created from a lower one. ### Is YouTube Premium download the same as saving a Short? No. Premium downloads stay inside the YouTube app for offline viewing. You don't get a separate video file to save to your gallery, edit or send. ### Can I download age-restricted or private Shorts? No. Private Shorts are visible only to people the owner chose, and age-restricted ones need a signed-in, age-verified account. The tool works like a logged-out visitor, so it can't open either. ### How do I save a Short from Telegram to my gallery? Send the link to @instanavy_bot, open the video it sends back, tap the three dots and choose Save to Gallery (Save Video on iPhone). Files over 50 MB can't be sent by a Telegram bot; download those from the website.