YouTube tests video downloads for your desktop browser

YouTube is testing an official way to download videos to your desktop web browser (via Android Police). If you want to see if you’re eligible for the test, which runs through October 19, check out YouTube’s Experimental Features page, which lists the tests available to Premium subscribers. I was able to participate in the test, but not a colleague of mine, which seems to indicate that not everyone is able to try the feature yet.

If you’re registered and on a supported browser (“the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, or Opera,” according to Google), when watching a video, you should see an option to download the video under the player. When you click on it, YouTube downloads the video, which you can then watch from the Downloads section accessible from the hamburger menu on the left side of the screen. I can’t find a way to download videos and watch them outside of my browser – it seems to be more of a way to watch YouTube videos offline.

Be warned that the functionality can be a bit buggy. Shortly after I signed up, the videos weren’t uploaded; their progress would be suspended at zero percent. But when I tried again a few minutes later, the feature worked as expected.