YouTube for desktop
YouTube for desktop is the same YouTube but for Windows as desktop application
YouTube windows is a video sharing service where you can watch, like, share, comment and upload ypur own videos.
The video service can be accessed on PCs, laptops, tablets and via mobile phones by using apps.
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In YouTube desktop you can:
- Users can search for and watch videos
- Create a personal YouTube channel
- Upload videos to your channel
- Like/Comment/share other YouTube videos
- Users can subscribe/follow other YouTube channels and users
- Create playlists to organize videos and group videos together
-
Perks of having YouTube windows App:
- An icon on your quick access spots
- One-click launch
- No need for an open browser tab
YouTube desktop works on Windos 7, Widows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11.
What are you waiting for? Hit Download and open up YouTube App on your Windows platform Desktop or Laptop.
Installation
To get YouTube desktop for Windows, you can Download YouTube desktop installer.
Or you can check the releases page.
Usage
Run the «YouTube.desktop.install.exe» and follow installation instructions.
For professionals
- You can build whole application from source code. For that you will need:
- Visual studio 2019 with support to build .NET Framework 4.6
- If you would like to create such installer as in release, you will need NSIS 2.5.1.
Run Developer Command Prompt for VS 2019
Execute commands in this prompt:
msbuild "YouTube desktop\YouTube desktop.sln" /p:Configuration=Release /p:SelfContained=True /p:PackageAsSingleFile=true /t:Publish /p:PublishDir=Publish
makensis installer_script.nsi
Contributing
Pull requests are welcome. For major changes, please open an issue first
to discuss what you would like to change.
Explore the easiest methods to get the app
by Srishti Sisodia
Srishti Sisodia is an electronics engineer and writer with a passion for technology. She has extensive experience exploring the latest technological advancements and sharing her insights through informative… read more
Updated on
- To download the YouTube app for PC on Windows 10/11, you can visit Microsoft Store, use the website itself, or use a third-party platform.
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Whether you want to watch videos, explore channels, create playlists, or interact with the YouTube community, having the YouTube app on your PC provides convenience and accessibility.
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of downloading and installing the YouTube app on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
What are the benefits of using the YouTube app on Windows?
Using the YouTube app on a Windows PC provides several benefits that enhance the overall user experience. Here are some key advantages:
- Seamless video streaming – The YouTube app offers optimized video playback, ensuring smooth streaming and minimizing buffering issues.
- Enhanced user interface – It offers a clean interface, easy navigation, intuitive controls, and a layout optimized for larger screens, allowing for a more user-friendly & immersive viewing experience.
- Personalized recommendation – This app helps you discover new content tailored to your interests, ensuring you never miss out on videos that align with your preferences.
- Background playback – This feature enables you to listen to music, podcasts, or other video content in the background while multitasking on your PC.
- Watch Later – You can use the Watch Later feature to save videos to a dedicated playlist, allowing you to keep track of videos you want to watch without immediately committing your time.
Now that you know the advantages, let us move on to the methods to download the app on your Windows computer.
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We have worked for the past 6 months on building a new review system on how we produce content. Using it, we have subsequently redone most of our articles to provide actual hands-on expertise on the guides we made.
For more details you can read how we test, review, and rate at WindowsReport.
How can I download the YouTube app on Windows 11?
Before proceeding with any steps for installing the program, go through the following preliminary checks:
- Ensure you have an active internet connection.
- Make sure you have logged in using a user account with administrative privileges.
Once you are through these, let us check out the methods mentioned below.
1. Use the YouTube website
NOTE
This method mentioned below only works on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
- Open your preferred browser.
- Go to YouTube and click on the three dots available in the top right corner.
- Choose Install YouTube.
- You will get another app asking, Install app?, click Install to confirm.
The app will be installed on your computer, and it will be ready to be used. Alternatively, you can also click on the download arrow on the address bar to initiate the installation.
2. Download the app from Microsoft Store
- Go to this Microsoft Store to download YouTube.
- Click Get.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.
- Fix: EXCEPTION_ILLEGAL_INSTRUCTION Error on Windows 11
- Delayed Write Failed Error on Windows 11: How to Fix it
3. Create a shortcut
NOTE
This method only works on Google Chrome.
- Open your preferred browser.
- Go to YouTube and click on the three dots available in the top right corner.
- Click More tools, then select Create Shortcut.
- In the Create Shortcut pop-up window, place a checkmark next to Open as window, and click Create.
- Now a shortcut is created on the desktop; you can double-click it to open it as an app.
How can I download the YouTube app on Windows 10?
First, make sure you are using a user account with admin rights and have an active internet connection. Now to download the YouTube app on Windows 10, you can use the same methods mentioned above for Windows 11.
So, these are methods to download the YouTube app on your Windows 10 or 11 computer and access your favorite videos, channels, & playlists and enhance your video streaming experience.
If you are looking for YouTube apps for your Windows 11 computer, we advise you to check this informative guide.
Please feel free to give us any information, tips, and your experience with the subject in the comments section below.
A significant number of people regularly use YouTube, the well-known and widely used platform that allows viewing and sharing of videos. For this reason, they want to be able to easily access YouTube’s content even on their personal computers, like on their mobiles through the YouTube app.
Installing the YouTube app on Windows 10/11 provides faster and easier navigation of YouTube content because it provides a cleaner, more organized and visually appealing layout compared to the regular website, improving the overall user experience .
In this article, we will guide you through the steps of installing the YouTube app using the Chrome & Edge browsers, so you can quickly access your favorite videos on your Windows 10/11 computer.
How to Install YouTube app in Windows 11/10 from Chrome or Edge.
Method 1: Install YouTube App in Google Chrome.
Adding the YouTube app in Windows 10/11 using Google Chrome is a quick and effortless process. Just follow the steps below:
1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to YouTube website.
2. Click on the three vertical dots icon at the top-right cornet and click Install YouTube. *
* Note: If the «Install YouTube» option is unavailable, sign-in to your Google Account and try again, or use the instructions on methods 2 & 3 below.
3. Finally click the Install button from the pop-up window to add the YouTube app on your Windows 10/11 PC.
4. That’s it! From now one, you can open the YouTube application from the relevant icon on your desktop. *
* Note: To uninstall the YouTube app from Windows 10/11 if you don’t want it, go to Start > Settings > Apps and features, select it and click Uninstall.
Method 2: Install YouTube app by Creating a Shortcut with Chrome.
If you can’t install the YouTube using the above method, proceed as follows:
1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to YouTube website.
2. Click on the three vertical dots icon on the top-right corner and go to More tools > Create shortcut.
2. At the ‘Create Shortcut’ window, ensure that in search box says «YouTube» and check the Open as window option. When done, click the Create button to install YouTube as an application on your PC.
3. After that, you can launch the YouTube app from its relevant icon on your desktop.*
* Note: To uninstall YouTube app from your PC, go to Start > Settings > Apps and features, select the YouTube app it and click Uninstall.
Method 3. Install YouTube App from Microsoft Edge on Windows 10/11.
Installing YouTube app through Microsoft Edge, is a straightforward task that can be accomplished in a few easy steps. Let’s dive in and see how it can be done:
1. Open your Microsoft Edge browser and navigate to YouTube website.
2. Then, click on the three horizontal dots on the top-right corner and go to Apps and click Install YouTube.
3. At the pop-up window click Install button to install YouTube in your system.
4. At the next screen select where to place a shortcut of the YouTube application and click Allow.
5. You’re done!
* Note: To remove the YouTube app from your PC if you don’t longer need it, go to Start > Settings > Apps and features, select the YouTube app it and click Uninstall.
We hope this article provided you with a comprehensive guide to install the YouTube app with Chrome or Edge in order to improve your video viewing experience on Windows 10/11.
That’s it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
Unlike Netflix, there is no official YouTube app for Windows 10 or Windows 11. Google was never interested in developing an app for Microsoft Store.
Watching Youtube videos inside a UWP app has several advantages over watching inside a browser. The app can use Windows advanced graphics and performance features to enhance video and audio quality.
There have recently been rumors that Google might be working on a dedicated application for Windows, but it has not been confirmed, nor has Google made any comment on the matter. They had earlier also declined to make an app for Windows phones. Nevertheless, you can still get an app for YouTube on your Windows PC with a neat trick.
On This Page
Let’s continue to see how you can install the YouTube application on your Windows PC.
Install YouTube App on Windows 10, 11
Google did not specifically make an app to run on Windows. However, they did make one to run on Xbox, which is readily available to download on Microsoft App Store for Xbox.
Since a portion of Xbox’s operating system is a modified version of Windows 8, which has the same backbone as Windows 10, the YouTube app designed for Xbox can also run on any PC with a Windows 10 or Windows 11 OS.
The installation is relatively easy and requires an additional step to download the application package through a third website. Follow the steps below to install the YouTube app on your Windows computer:
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Open the YouTube link on Microsoft Store and copy the URL from the address bar.
Copy the URL The copied URL is required for the next step, where we download the installation files from the Microsoft Store. If prompted to log in, enter your Microsoft account credentials.
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Open the AdGuard website and paste the URL.
Paste the URL in AdGuard The Adguard website offers a tool to download apps from the Microsoft Store.
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Select “Retail” from the drop-down menu on the right, select “URL (link)” from the drop-down menu on the left, and then click on the checkbox.
Set drop-down menus A list of downloads will now be available.
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Copy the download link for the following file to the clipboard:
Note: The version number may be different for you.
GoogleInc.YouTube_1.4.156.70_x64_yfg5n0ztvskxp.appx
Copy link to clipboard Right-click the link ending with .appx for your respective Windows platforms (32-bit or 64-bit), and then click Copy link address from the context menu. This will download the .appx file to your computer. .appx files act like installer files for the Microsoft Store.
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Download the Youtube app installation file to your computer.
Download the YouTube application package Open a new tab in the web browser, paste the copied address, and press Enter. Your download should now begin.
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Run the downloaded appx file to install Youtube app on your system.
Install the YouTube app Once downloaded, execute the package. The installation wizard will now run. Click on the Install button to start the installation.
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Close the wizard once the installation is complete.
YouTube app successfully installed The installation should take about 30 seconds. The wizard will automatically close, and the YouTube app will now launch if the “Launch when ready” box is initially checked.
You can now enjoy the YouTube application on your Windows computer without any hassle. As mentioned before, you will need to navigate through the app using only your keyboard, just as you would on an Xbox.
Uninstall YouTube app from your computer
If you want to remove/delete the app, navigate to the following:
Start Menu -> Settings -> Apps
Now scroll down, click on the YouTube app, and then click Uninstall.
Alternatively, you can also remove it from the Programs and Features applet, which can be accessed by typing in “appwiz.cpl” in the Run Command box.
Install YouTube Web App on Microsoft Edge
Although web apps don’t provide as much flexibility as the actual UWP Windows app, they are better than opening YouTube in a browser. They follow Youtube’s official web interface.
A Youtube progressive web app will have the same functionality as Youtube for the web but when you click on the YouTube icon on the desktop, it will open the YouTube web app directly without opening the browser first.
Check out how to Create a Progressive Web App (PWA) for any website on Windows 10 (Including Youtube and Facebook)
Youtube web app also supports picture-in-picture mode so you can easily keep the video on top of all other windows.
Let’s go through the process of creating a web app for YouTube on Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome separately.
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Open Microsoft Edge and go to https://youtube.com.
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Open Edge settings, expand Apps, and then click “Install YouTube.”
Install YouTube using Microsoft Edge This will create a Youtube shortcut on the Desktop. You can open Youtube directly by double-clicking the shortcut without opening the browser first.
Alternatively, you can also click on the Web app icon in the address bar of Edge to install the YouTube app automatically. The web app icon will only appear on websites that support creating progressive web apps.
Install YouTube App on Google Chrome
Google Chrome also supports creating an app for YouTube. Follow the steps below to install the YouTube app using Google Chrome:
-
Open Google Chrome and go to https://youtube.com.
-
Open Chrome settings and click “Install YouTube.”
Install YouTube web app using Chrome This will create a Youtube shortcut on the Desktop. You can open YouTube directly by double-clicking the shortcut without opening the browser first.
You can also click on the Web app icon in the address bar to install the YouTube app automatically. The web app icon will only appear on websites that support creating progressive web apps.
YouTube App Keyboard Shortcuts
One of the advantages of the YouTube app is that you can use your keyboard to control most aspects of Youtube. Here are some keyboard shortcuts that you can use to control the Youtube web app:
| Function | Shortcut |
| Toggle play/pause | k |
| Rewind 10 seconds | j |
| Forward 10 seconds | l |
| Previous video | p |
| Next video | n |
Here is the complete list of YouTube keyboard shortcuts. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Best Alternative YouTube Apps for Windows
If Google doesn’t provide a YouTube app for Windows, it’s not the end of the world. Below you’ll find a list of alternative apps that stream YouTube videos.
Minitube Youtube App
Download Minitube
Minitube is one of the best YouTube apps for viewing YouTube videos on a desktop computer. It is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux (Debian and Ubuntu). It is a very small application that runs almost instantly on a Windows PC. It is free to use but does not provide automatic updates or support. You will receive lifetime support and automatic updates once you purchase the app.
Minitube has a very simple user interface consisting of three tabs: Search, Browse, and Subscriptions. Using the Browse tab, you can browse YouTube using a specific country or worldwide. The browse and subscriptions tabs did not function correctly, but the search tab worked perfectly for me.
Once the application has been downloaded and installed, you will see a screen with three options: Use Demo, Enter License, and Buy License. You can use the app for free by selecting Use Demo.
FreeTube
Download FreeTube
FreeTube Player is one of the best desktop players for YouTube that is open source and free. The primary advantage of FreeTube is that it plays YouTube videos without advertisements and prevents Google from tracking your device.
FreeTube Player is extremely fast and can also be used to download YouTube videos for offline viewing. A mini-window mode is also available, which operates similarly to the Picture-in-Picture mode of a browser.
FreeTube’s only disadvantage is the quality of the videos. This application can only play or download video files up to 720p resolution.
FreeTube is available for MacOS, Windows, and Linux.
Echoes Player
Install Echoes Player from Chrome Web Store
Echoes Player is another free and open-source YouTube media player that focuses on privacy. It has a very sleek interface that enhances the user experience. Echoes Player blocks all YouTube advertisements, so you can watch your videos without distractions.
Echoes Player is available as a Google Chrome extension. You can install the extension in any of your Chromium-based browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, or Opera.
Echoes Player gives the user the option to create playlists easily and play videos and music without any interruption.
MotionBox
Download MotionBox
If you are looking for a video browser that can browse videos not only from YouTube, but also from other video streaming services like Dailymotion, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc., MotionBox is the perfect fit.
MotionBox is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
Conclusion
YouTube is a popular platform to share your candid and professional videos with the entire world. The YouTube application makes that experience pleasant with its better interface and controls. However, the application does not continue to play audio when it is minimized. Hence, it would not be possible to listen to music while the application runs in the background.
Will you switch to the app version of YouTube or continue to use it via a browser?
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Как раз, сейчас мы предлагаем загрузить ПК-версию для платформы Windows 10. Если вы часто смотрите видеоролики и подписывайтесь на известных блогеров, то не обходите стороной это многофункциональное приложение.
Особенности функционала
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- Подписывайтесь на любых блогеров, общайтесь с другими зрителями в любое удобное время.
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- Если смотрите видео на английском языке, то встроенный онлайн-переводчик тоже присутствует и готов помочь каждому, кто не является полиглотом.
- Меняйте качество изображения по своему усмотрению, чтобы сэкономить интернет-трафик — ультрасовременный 4К формат тоже присутствует.
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- Здесь имеется платный контент отличного качества для тех, кто не привык экономить собственные деньги.
- Оперативно вставляйте быстрые ссылки через буфер обмена.
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Краткая инструкция по установке Ютуб через эмулятор
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