Nowadays, more and more 4K UHD videos are offered on YouTube, allowing the public to enjoy crystal-clear images easily online. Compared to HD or SD quality downloads, downloading YouTube videos in 4K can be difficult and requires specifc tools. So, in this guide, we will show you 3 easy ways to download 4K videos from YouTube safely and quickly on PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices. Enjoy unlimited 4K videos offline anytime.
Cisdem Video Converter
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 
Free Download macOS 10.13 or later
YouTube uses VP9 and sometimes AV1 codecs for high quality videos including 2K (1440p), 4K (2160p) and 8K (4320p). They are newer than popular AVC (h.264), with higher compression rates for streaming but lower compatibility. You can right-click on a YouTube video and select “Stats for nerds” to check the "codecs info".
So which one should we choose if both formats are available?
In terms of compatibility, VP9 is more recommended, especially for Windows OS. It’s natively supported by Windows Media Player and most browsers. AV1 playback, however, often requires an extra codec pack or third-party player software.
In terms of compression, AV1 videos can result in smaller file sizes than VP9 for the same quality.
Note that only desktop apps allow you choose the download codecs. Browser-based tools usually cannot.
There's no easier or safer way to download YouTube 4K videos than using a professional software on computer. Cisdem Video Converter is an outstanding all-in-one multimedia software. It is able to download videos from 1000+ websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, Bilibili, Instagram, etc. And it supports downloading videos in 1080p, 4K, 8K or higher resolution that the video gives.
For downloading, it can detect and download whole playlists, live videos, and even private videos that most downloaders can't handle.
Besides, it is an excellent converter so that people can convert the downloaded videos to other 600+ video and audio formats with various custom features. It's super easy to use and covers all features in a one-off payment without repeat subscriptions.
Step 1. Install the Software
Download and install the latest version of the software on your computer. As the Mac Version is similar to the Windows Version, we will take the steps of Windows version as an example.
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.13 or later
Open it, you will see the conversion interface by default, click 
on the top to go to the download interface.
Step 2. Copy YouTube URL
Visit YouTube website, choose any 4K video and copy the URL.
Step 3. Paste URL
Back to Cisdem interface, paste the URL into the bottom URL field, click “+” or hit “Enter” to parse the video.
As it can batch download videos, you can repeat the copy-n-paste process to add more videos, or click the add icon on the bottom left corner to batch add URLs. Click OK button to analyze them simultaneously.
Step 4. Choose Output Format (Optional)
After analyzing, click the drop-down icon of Format box to select a suitable format and resolution you want. Normally, it will choose the highest resolution by default. It can also download the subtitle file for you if available.
Step 5. Start the Downloading Process
When all is done, click "Start" button at the bottom right corner to batch save them to your computer instantly. Each video will show you the processing bar for you to monitor the progress.
Once the download is completed, click the “Checkmark”
icon on the video to find them on your device.
Tip: If you want other formats, you can drag and drop them to the first interface and convert them to many other formats you want, such as the popular MP4 H.264.
There are tons of excellent YouTube 4K video downloaders for Android for you to choose from the market, for example, VidMate, TubeMate, InsTube, and so on. Here we are going to parallel you another powerful 4K YouTube video downloader for Android, which is called Videoder.
Videoder is a lightweight downloader that helps people download videos up to 4K on Android. It supports batch downloading to reduce the waiting time. If you want to make numerous downloads without ads, you’d better switch to its paid version for a better experience.
There’s no YouTube video downloader app available in the App Store due to various restrictions. If you wish to download 4K videos from YouTube on your iPhone or iPad, try using any online downloader in the next part.
To better handle and archive your downloads, a file manager such as Documents is also recommended. It has a built-in browser to access the downloader site. It also lets you set the output folder, view the download progress, play the downloaded 4K videos and transfer video files easily.
4K resolution means large filesize, which can take up too much space on mobile devices. I’d recommend desktop software if you have access to a laptop or computer.
Although there are many online YouTube downloaders, few can save 4K quality videos. Either some websites have stopped working, or the rest download 4K without sound.
After numerous testing, we find that a reliable online service called save.tube does a great job in downloading 4K videos. It supports downloading videos from many websites while maintaining the high quality, such as YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, etc. Once adding the URL, it makes quick response to analyze the video and can download videos in up to 4K resolution.
Other feasible 4K YouTube downloaders:
Like Apple, Chrome also forbids YouTube downloader feauture. But you can make use of Firefox extensions to free download 4K videos from YouTube without leaving the page.
UDL Helper is one of the most reliable YouTube downloader extension with 4K support. It works on Firefox, Edge and Opera. However, due to limited capability of browser add-on, it may require you to download its client app to grab 4K quality if the video is long. Also, the download process use hardware resources and can slow down your browser speed.
Other tested extensions:
So you’ve finally downloaded your wanted 4K videos from YouTube, but can’t open it on your device? Well, as mentioned before, these videos are encoded in advanced formats that are not that widely supported. If your built-in player, such as Media Player and QuickTime, can’t play the video, try the following solutions:
This article has demonstrated 3 easy and common ways for you to download 4K video from YouTube and other websites effortlessly. However, as 4K video is much larger in size, so it takes more time to download and convert than normal videos. The online tools are not stable and rely heavily on the internet connection, which may cause more download issues if your internet is not steady.
So if you don’t want to wait too long or take any risks, it is highly recommended to utilize a professional desktop software, which can not only download 4K videos in a fast speed without length or size limit, but also offers more advanced features to control the download results.
Emily is a girl who loves to review various multimedia software. She enjoys exploring cutting edge technology and writing how-to guides. Hopefully her articles will help you solve your audio, video, DVD and Blu-ray issues.
