How to Download YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are vertical 9:16 videos up to 3 minutes long designed for quick mobile consumption. They are available on millions of channels and cover everything from quick tutorials to music, humor, and news. Whether you want to save a Short to watch offline, keep the audio, or simply store it in your gallery, this guide explains how to do it in seconds — no installs needed.

With PullVid's YouTube Shorts downloader you can save any public Short in its original vertical format, in high quality, or extract just the audio as MP3. The process is the same on PC, Android, and iPhone.

How to download a YouTube Short step by step

1. Open the Short in the YouTube app and tap the Share button (upward arrow). Select Copy link.
2. Go to PullVid's YouTube Shorts downloader in your browser and paste the link into the search field.
3. Wait a few seconds while PullVid analyses the Short and displays the available formats.
4. Choose your preferred quality (720p, 1080p, or audio only) and click Download.
5. The video saves automatically to your device, ready to watch offline.

On Android

Inside the YouTube app, navigate to the Short and tap the Share button (the upward-pointing arrow). Choose Copy link. Then open Chrome or another browser, go to PullVid, paste the link, and select the quality. The MP4 downloads directly to your phone's Downloads folder, ready to play in your usual video app.

On iPhone

On iOS the process is identical: open the Short in the YouTube app, tap Share → Copy link. Open Safari, go to PullVid, and paste the link. The MP4 file is saved in the Files app; from there you can move it to Photos or your favourite folder with a couple of taps.

On PC (Windows and Mac)

On desktop you can also copy the link directly from the browser address bar while watching the Short on youtube.com. Paste it into PullVid, choose the resolution, and click Download. The MP4 is saved to your system's default Downloads folder.

The vertical 9:16 format is preserved

A common concern is whether the Short will be cropped or downloaded with black bars on the sides. The answer is no: PullVid downloads the file exactly as the creator uploaded it, in vertical 9:16 format, without altering the framing or aspect ratio. The result is an MP4 that plays correctly on any phone or editing app without any adjustments.

Technically, YouTube encodes Shorts in an MP4 container with H.264 video codec (or H.265 in some cases), exactly the same as regular videos. The only difference is the aspect ratio: 9:16 instead of 16:9. That means the downloaded file is natively compatible with any media player — VLC, QuickTime, Windows Media Player — and with editing apps like CapCut, iMovie, or DaVinci Resolve, with no need to rotate or reframe anything.

Quality and format of the downloaded file

YouTube Shorts are available in several resolutions depending on the original quality the creator used when uploading. PullVid shows you all the options available for that specific Short:

• 1080p (Full HD): the maximum quality available for most recent Shorts; ideal for large screens and further editing.
• 720p (HD): excellent balance between sharpness and file size; perfect for mobile.
• 480p and 360p: lightweight options when you prioritise saving storage space or mobile data.
• Audio only (MP3): extracts just the audio track from the Short, without downloading the video.

The file you receive is a clean MP4, with no watermarks added by PullVid, containing audio and video integrated in a single file that works on any device.

Download only the audio (MP3)

If you are only interested in the sound — a song, a voice, or a sound effect — you can extract the Short's audio directly as MP3. Use PullVid's YouTube to MP3 converter: paste the Short link exactly as you would for any other YouTube video and choose the audio-only option. You get a high-quality MP3 file without needing to download the full video.

This option is especially useful when you want to save the background song from a viral Short, keep a motivational quote in audio form to listen to while exercising, or use a sound effect in your own creative project. MP3 is universal: it works in any music player, Bluetooth speaker, or car entertainment system.

Shorts vs regular YouTube videos

The difference between a Short and a regular YouTube video goes beyond length. Shorts are vertical 9:16 videos up to 3 minutes long, optimised for quick scrolling in the mobile feed and with their own distribution algorithm. Regular videos are horizontal (16:9), with no duration limit, and designed for more leisurely viewing — long tutorials, documentaries, vlogs, saved livestreams.

From a downloading standpoint, the process in PullVid is identical for both: paste the link, choose the quality, and download. The only difference is the aspect ratio of the resulting file. For guides on downloading YouTube videos in general, see how to download YouTube videos without software.

Why people download YouTube Shorts

• Saving quick tutorials — recipes, DIY tricks, fitness tips — to consult offline while putting them into practice.
• Preserving a viral Short before the creator deletes it or makes it private.
• Extracting the background music from a Short to use in your own videos or as a personal soundtrack.
• Archiving your own published Shorts as a local backup before removing them from your channel.
• Repurposing your own clips or openly licensed content in editing projects, presentations, or social media.

To explore all methods and platforms in depth, visit the ultimate guide to downloading videos from the internet.