How to Save YouTube Shorts to Your Camera Roll (iPhone & Android)
Step-by-step guide to downloading YouTube Shorts as MP4 files and saving them to your phone's Camera Roll or Gallery without watermarks.
Why Download YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are 60-second vertical videos — perfect for repurposing, offline viewing, or saving moments you want to keep. Unfortunately, YouTube's mobile app has no native download option for Shorts (even YouTube Premium only allows in-app downloads with DRM). That is where ClipsDown comes in.
Method 1: ClipsDown (Works on All Devices)
- Open the YouTube app and find the Short you want.
- Tap Share → Copy link. The link looks like:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID - Open ClipsDown's YouTube downloader in your browser.
- Paste the link and tap Download.
- Select a quality (720p or 1080p) and save.
On Android: The MP4 file downloads to your Downloads folder and is visible in your Gallery app.
On iPhone: Long-press the download button in Safari → Download Linked File → move from Files to Photos app.
Method 2: Share the Shorts URL on Desktop
- On desktop, go to the YouTube Shorts page.
- Copy the URL from the address bar.
- Visit ClipsDown and paste it.
- Download the MP4 — it saves to your Downloads folder immediately.
Do YouTube Shorts Download With Audio?
Yes. ClipsDown merges the video and audio streams server-side before serving the final MP4, so you always get a complete file with sound — unlike some tools that deliver silent video.
What Qualities Are Available for YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are shot in vertical (9:16) format and typically available in:
- 360p — smallest file, good for messaging
- 720p — HD, recommended for general use
- 1080p — Full HD, best quality
Is It Legal to Download YouTube Shorts?
Downloading for personal, offline viewing falls under fair use in most jurisdictions. Re-uploading or monetizing someone else's content without permission is a copyright violation. See our full guide on legality for details.
Conclusion
There is no built-in way to save YouTube Shorts to your camera roll, but ClipsDown makes it trivially easy — paste the link, choose a quality, and your MP4 is ready in seconds.