You found the perfect YouTube Short – a quick tutorial, a hilarious clip, or inspiration for your next project and you want to save it, but the download button is nowhere to be found. You try the same downloader that worked for regular videos, and it either fails completely or saves a corrupted file that won’t play.
Sound familiar?
Downloading YouTube Shorts shouldn’t be harder than downloading regular videos, but here’s the reality: many tools struggle with the vertical format, mess up the resolution, or can’t handle Shorts at all. You’re left hunting for solutions, clicking through sketchy websites, or settling for low-quality downloads that defeat the entire purpose.
Learning how to download YouTube Shorts video properly means understanding what makes these short-form videos different, knowing which tools actually work, and avoiding the traps that waste your time or compromise your device’s security.
This guide shows you exactly how to do it right.
Are YouTube Shorts Different from Regular Videos?
Yes, and those differences matter when you’re trying to download them.
Format and orientation – YouTube Shorts use a 9:16 aspect ratio with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. That’s vertical video designed for mobile screens. Regular YouTube videos use 16:9 aspect ratio—horizontal and wider. When you download a Short, your tool needs to preserve that vertical format, or you’ll end up with a video that plays incorrectly.
Length restrictions – Shorts are capped at 60 seconds (recently extended to 3 minutes for some creators). Regular YouTube videos can run up to 12 hours. This length difference affects file sizes and how downloaders process the content.
Different playback systems – YouTube Shorts live in their own section of the platform with a dedicated scrolling feed. They’re optimized for mobile viewing and quick consumption. Regular videos have their own player with more controls and options.
Technical backend – YouTube handles Shorts differently in their system. The encoding, compression, and delivery methods aren’t identical to regular videos. Some downloaders work great with standard YouTube content but completely fail with Shorts because they’re not built to handle the technical differences.
Quality settings – Shorts support 720p, 1080p, and even up to 8K resolution, but most are uploaded at 1080p for the best balance between quality and file size. The vertical format means different compression and bitrate handling than horizontal videos.
Here’s what this means for downloads: a tool designed only for regular YouTube videos might not recognize Shorts URLs, might fail to process the vertical format, or might save the video in the wrong orientation. You need downloaders specifically compatible with Shorts – or better yet, tools built to handle both formats seamlessly.
The good news? The actual download process isn’t fundamentally different. You still need the video URL, you still select quality settings, and you still save the file. But your downloader must understand that it’s working with vertical video in a specific format. Otherwise, you’re going to have problems.
How to Download YouTube Shorts Video Legally
By now, you know our stance on this. We covered the legality of YouTube downloaders extensively in our previous article, but it’s worth revisiting specifically for Shorts.
Downloader tools themselves aren’t illegal. Tubly is a legal browser extension. What you choose to download with it determines the legality and ethics of your actions.
YouTube’s Terms of Service prohibit downloading unless explicitly permitted by the platform or creator. That applies to Shorts just as it does to regular videos. Technically, you’re violating their terms when you use third-party tools to download.
But enforcement focuses on redistribution and commercial use. YouTube hasn’t sued individual users for downloading content for personal offline viewing. Their legal actions target large-scale operations that redistribute content or profit from downloads.
Here’s where it matters most with Shorts:
- Your own content – If you created and uploaded the Short, download it freely. Many creators use tools like Tubly to back up their own Shorts. This is completely legitimate—it’s your content.
- Creative Commons Shorts – Content explicitly licensed for sharing is fair game. Check the video description for CC licensing information.
- Permission from the creator – If someone gives you explicit permission to download their Short, you’re covered.
- Public domain content – Shorts featuring content where copyright has expired or never applied can be downloaded.
- Fair use considerations – Downloading for educational purposes, commentary, criticism, or transformative use may fall under fair use. But fair use is complex, varies by jurisdiction, and isn’t a blanket excuse for any download.
Why Legal Downloading Matters More with Shorts
Shorts are often created by individual creators – not major studios. These people depend on platform engagement and ad revenue. Mass downloading and redistribution directly impacts their income in ways that might be less obvious than with traditional content.
Many creators make Shorts specifically for platform algorithms. When you download and repost elsewhere (especially with platform watermarks visible), you’re potentially hurting their reach and violating their rights.
The responsible approach:
- Download your own Shorts for backup purposes
- Save Creative Commons or public domain content
- Get explicit permission before downloading others’ work
- Keep downloads for personal offline viewing only
- Don’t redistribute, monetize, or claim downloaded content as your own
- Respect creators who make their living from platform engagement
We built Tubly for legitimate uses. Content creators backing up their work. Researchers archiving public content for analysis. People saving Creative Commons material. Users who need offline access for legitimate reasons.
We’re not encouraging copyright violation. We believe in user autonomy and providing reliable tools for legal downloads. Use them responsibly.
How to Download YouTube Shorts Video Online
Here’s the actual process – straightforward and effective.
Method 1: Using Tubly Browser Extension (Recommended)
This is the simplest and most reliable method for downloading YouTube Shorts.
Step 1: Install Tubly
- Visit the Tubly installation page at tubly.download/install
- Click “Download v1.4.5” button
- Add the extension to your browser using the guided installation steps provided
- Installation takes less than 30 seconds
Step 2: Navigate to YouTube Shorts
- Open YouTube in your browser
- Find the Short you want to download
- The video can be playing, paused, or queued – doesn’t matter
Step 3: Click the Download Button
- Tubly automatically adds a download button directly below the Shorts video player
- Click that button
- The download starts immediately – no copying URLs, no external sites, no extra steps
Step 4: Save Your File
- Choose your download location when prompted
- The Short saves in MP4 format with the original vertical orientation preserved
- Quality is automatically selected as the highest available
That’s it. One-click downloading with no complications.
Why this method works best:
- No copying and pasting URLs
- No navigating to external websites
- No ads or pop-ups interrupting the process
- Downloads happen instantly through direct browser integration
- Your viewing and download history stays completely private
- Works seamlessly on Windows, Mac, and Linux
Method 2: Using Online Downloader Sites
If you prefer not to install an extension, you can download YouTube Shorts video online using web-based tools – though they come with caveats.
Step 1: Copy the Short’s URL
- Open the YouTube Short you want to download
- Right-click on the video player
- Select “Copy video URL”
- Or copy the URL from your browser’s address bar
Step 2: Find a Reliable Online Downloader
- Visit a reputable online downloader (we’ll get to what “reputable” means shortly)
- Look for sites with clean interfaces, minimal ads, and clear functionality
Step 3: Paste and Process
- Paste the copied URL into the downloader’s input field
- Click the download or convert button
- Wait for the site to process the video
Step 4: Select Quality and Download
- Choose your preferred quality option (usually 1080p for Shorts)
- Confirm the format (MP4 is standard)
- Click download
- Save the file to your device
The downsides of this method:
- Requires leaving YouTube and visiting external sites
- Often loaded with intrusive ads
- Slower processing due to server queues
- Your download activity passes through third-party servers
- Some sites are outright malicious
- Quality and reliability vary dramatically
How to identify safe online downloaders:
- Clean, professional interface without excessive ads
- Clear privacy policy
- HTTPS security (look for the lock icon in your browser)
- No demands to disable ad blockers or download suspicious software
- Straightforward process without endless redirects
- Recent user reviews confirming it works
Sites like Cobalt.tools have decent reputations for being ad-free and privacy-focused. But even reputable sites face the same limitations: slower processing, dependency on server availability, and the need to submit URLs to external servers.
Method 3: Screen Recording (Last Resort)
If all else fails, you can screen record the Short. This isn’t ideal, but it works.
For Windows:
- Press Windows + G to open Game Bar
- Click the record button
- Play the Short
- Stop recording when finished
For Mac:
- Press Command + Shift + 5
- Select the recording area
- Play the Short
- Click stop when done
For Mobile:
- iOS: Use built-in screen recording from Control Center
- Android: Use built-in screen recorder or download a recording app
Why this is the least preferred method:
- Quality depends on your screen resolution and recording settings
- You’re recording your screen, not the source file
- File sizes are usually larger
- More time-consuming
- May not preserve the original vertical format perfectly
Use screen recording only when proper downloaders fail completely.
Want to download multiple YouTube videos at once? Check out our guide on How to Download Multiple YouTube Videos at Once.
How to Download YouTube Shorts Video High Quality
Quality matters. A blurry, pixelated Short defeats the purpose of downloading it in the first place.
Understanding Shorts Quality
YouTube Shorts are typically uploaded at 1080p resolution (1080 x 1920 pixels) in the 9:16 vertical aspect ratio. Some creators upload at higher resolutions—up to 4K or even 8K—but 1080p is the standard that balances quality with file size.
When you download a Short, you want to preserve that original quality. Bad downloaders compress the video further, reducing quality unnecessarily. Good downloaders grab the source file at its native resolution.
How Tubly Preserves Quality
Tubly automatically selects the highest available quality for every download. No confusing menus asking you to choose between resolutions you don’t understand. No accidental selection of 360p when 1080p is available.
Here’s what Tubly does:
- Detects the maximum quality the Short was uploaded in
- Downloads that maximum quality by default
- Preserves the vertical 9:16 format exactly as uploaded
- Maintains the original bitrate and compression settings
- Saves as MP4 with optimized encoding
You get the best version available, automatically. If a creator uploaded in 4K, you get 4K. If they uploaded in 1080p, that’s what you receive. No quality loss from re-encoding or compression.
Quality Issues with Other Downloaders
Many free online downloaders compress videos to save bandwidth and storage on their servers. They’re processing thousands of downloads simultaneously, so they reduce file sizes to manage server load.
This means:
- Lower resolution than the source video
- Reduced bitrate causing pixelation
- Compression artifacts making the video look worse
- Sometimes audio quality degradation
You download a Short that looked crisp on YouTube, and the saved file looks fuzzy or blocky. That’s the downloader re-encoding and compressing the video beyond what YouTube already did.
Red flags for quality problems:
- Downloader offers only low-resolution options (360p, 480p)
- File size seems suspiciously small for the video length
- No option to select quality settings
- Download finishes almost instantly (suggesting heavy compression)
Maintaining Vertical Format
Quality isn’t just resolution – it’s also preserving the vertical orientation. YouTube Shorts are meant to fill mobile screens in portrait mode.
Some downloaders save Shorts in the wrong orientation or add black bars to force them into horizontal frames. The video plays sideways, or it’s letterboxed with huge black spaces making the actual content tiny.
Tubly maintains the vertical format precisely. The downloaded Short looks exactly like it did on YouTube—full vertical video, no added bars, no orientation errors. Play it on your phone, and it fills the screen properly.
Choosing Quality with Online Downloaders
If you’re using online downloader sites, you typically get quality options:
- 1080p – Standard for Shorts, best balance of quality and file size
- 720p – Acceptable but noticeably lower quality
- 480p or below – Only if you’re desperate to save storage space
Always select the highest available option. Storage is cheap—re-downloading because quality was poor wastes more time than saving a few megabytes.
When Higher Quality Isn’t Available
Sometimes a Short was uploaded at lower resolution. If the creator recorded on an older phone or used low camera settings, the source might be 720p or even 480p.
In these cases, your downloader can only grab what exists. No tool can create quality that wasn’t there originally. If the source is 720p, that’s the best you’ll get—and that’s fine. The downloader isn’t at fault for the creator’s upload settings.
Audio Quality in Shorts
Don’t forget audio. Many Shorts rely heavily on sound—music, voiceovers, sound effects. Poor audio quality ruins the experience.
Tubly preserves audio at the original bitrate and sample rate. Most Shorts use AAC audio at 384 kbps with a 48,000 Hz sample rate. That’s what you get in the download—no degradation, no re-encoding that reduces clarity.
Cheap downloaders sometimes strip audio entirely, save it at very low bitrates, or fail to sync it properly with the video. You end up with audio that sounds tinny, compressed, or slightly out of sync.
Testing Your Downloads
After downloading a Short, play it to verify quality:
- Check if the video is sharp and clear
- Confirm the vertical orientation is correct
- Make sure audio plays properly and is in sync
- Verify the file plays in your preferred media player
If quality is poor, the problem is either the downloader or the source video. Try downloading the same Short with a different tool to determine which.
Getting Started with YouTube Shorts Downloads
Downloading YouTube Shorts doesn’t need to be complicated. You need a tool that handles the vertical format correctly, preserves quality, and works reliably. Tubly delivers all three.
Install the extension, click the download button when you find a Short you want, and the file saves to your device in seconds. No ads, no external websites, no compromised quality.
Your Shorts library awaits. Start building it the right way.
