How to download videos on a Chromebook (no installs needed)

A Chromebook is built to live inside the browser, and that's exactly what you need to download videos: no need to install any app from the Play Store or leave Chrome itself. With a web downloader like PullVid, the process is identical to any Windows or Mac computer, except you're taking advantage of everything ChromeOS already has built in.

Do I need to install an app on the Chromebook?

No. ChromeOS lets you install Android apps from the Play Store, and there are several download apps available, but it's not necessary: the whole process works straight from the Chrome browser that's already built into the system. That has two clear advantages on a Chromebook: you don't use up storage space, which tends to be limited on these devices, and you avoid the permissions and ads that many sketchy Android apps ask for.

Step by step: downloading a video on a Chromebook

1. Open Chrome on your Chromebook (it's installed by default).
2. Go to the platform where the video is: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or X.
3. Copy the video's URL from the address bar.
4. Open a new tab and go to pullvid.com.
5. Paste the URL into the search field with Ctrl+V.
6. Wait for PullVid to process the link and show the available formats.
7. Pick the resolution (MP4 at 1080p is a solid default) and click Download.

Where do videos get saved on ChromeOS?

Downloaded files go to the Downloads folder, visible from the Files app that ChromeOS ships with by default (the blue folder icon in the app drawer). From there you can play the video directly, move it to Google Drive if your Chromebook is short on local storage, or share it with another compatible app. If your Chromebook has Drive sync turned on, you can also set downloads to save straight to the cloud instead of the local disk.

Playing the downloaded video on the Chromebook

ChromeOS includes a basic video player built into the Files app: just tap the MP4 file and it opens and plays without installing anything else. If your Chromebook has access to the Play Store, you can also install VLC for Android, which gives you more playback options (subtitles, speed control, more formats), though for a standard MP4 it isn't essential.

Limited storage: upload to Drive if you need to

Many Chromebooks have little internal storage (32-64 GB is common), designed for working in the cloud. If you're going to download several videos in high quality, keep the space in mind: a 1080p video can weigh several hundred MB. Move files to Google Drive from the Files app (by dragging them or using "Move to") as soon as you download them, freeing up local space without losing the video.

Does it work the same as on a phone without apps?

The approach is the same as on a phone: everything from the browser, with nothing installed from an app store. If you also want to download videos from your phone with that same approach, check the guide on downloading videos on mobile without apps, which walks through the process step by step on Android and iPhone.