How to Download Private YouTube Videos in 2025: 6 Tested and Proven Ways

Ever wondered how to download private YouTube videos without breaking a sweat? It can feel like cracking a code, but once you’re armed with the right tools and a little know-how, you'll unlock a world of content in no time. Let’s get into the real deal and show you how it’s done!

Top 6 Ways to Download Private YouTube Videos

Downloading private YouTube videos isn’t as tricky as it seems. With the right tool and the URL in hand, you can effortlessly save your favorite videos to your device in no time.

1 Use Fildown to Download Private YouTube Videos

The top choice for downloading private YouTube videos is iRocket Fildown—fast, reliable, and easy to use. Just paste the video URL, and let Fildown handle the rest. It's designed to make downloading private YouTube videos as smooth and effortless as possible, so you can enjoy your content offline and store it in high quality. Try it today and see how quickly and easily it works for you.

How to Download Private YouTube Videos with Fildown

Step 1 Copy the URL of the private YouTube video, paste it into the search bar, and hit Search.

Step 2 Choose your preferred resolution, then hit "Download". The resolution options are based on the quality of the video when it’s uploaded.

Step 3 Video will be downloaded in seconds. You can watch it within the app.

If you use the built-in browser, click "Video" to download.

iRocket Fildown

Fildown is more than just a private YouTube video downloader. With its simple interface, you can easily download YouTube playlists and save them as audio files all in one click.

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2 Download via VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is not just for video playing—it can also be used to download private YouTube videos with URL as MP4 or other video formats. It works on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux.

How to Download Private YouTube Videos with the Link in VLC Player

Step 1 Supposed you have had the link to the private YouTube video, copy it to your clipborad

Step 2 Launch VLC Media Player > Media > Convert/Save

Step 3 Go to Network > Enter the video URL > Convert/Save

Step 4 Choose the profile format and the destination file

Step 5 Click Start to download

iRocket Fildown

If you’re looking for a simpler and safer way, give iRocket Fildown a try. It only takes 3 easy steps to download a private YouTube video—quick and straightforward. Also, the interface shows zero ads, ensuring you have a smooth and uninterrupting download experience.

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3 Free Online Tool to Download Private YouTube Videos

Not interested in using software? Online tools can be a convenient alternative for downloading private videos from YouTube. Most of them are simple to use: just copy and paste the video link and it's done. These web-based tools are handy, but expect that some can’t handle videos longer than 2 hours, and a few are cluttered with ads or sneaky fake download buttons. That said, if you’re just after a quick fix, they’re still one of the best options out there.

Check out the best online YouTube video downloaders.

4 Chrome Extension to Download Private YouTube Videos

As you know, Chrome doesn't encourage you to download any file from YouTube due to the strict policy. It's hard to find a working Chrome extension for downloading videos from YouTube today. However, you can still give Addoncrop a try. This private YouTube video downloader for Chrome is simple, effective, and integrates smoothly with your browser to save those private YouTube treasures. It just needs a little workaround to make it work on Chrome.

How to Download YouTube Videos with Addoncrop

Step 1 Visit the official website of Addoncrop.

Step 2 Click "Add to Chrome."

Then it will guide you to add an extension called “Foxified,” a tool that emulates Firefox extension, to Chrome. As capable as it is, it takes more steps than Fildown to download the private video to your device.

Step 3 Click "Allow Permissions."

Step 4 Installation complete.

Step 5 You can click the Video thumbnail to download videos.

5 Firefox Network Developer Tool to Download YouTube Private Video

While Chrome can be a bit stubborn when it comes to downloading private YouTube videos, Firefox is a different picture. With Firefox, You don't need any third-party tool to make it happen. Its built-in network developer tool can work the magic.

How to Download Private YouTube Videos in Firefox

Step 1 Open the private YouTube video, right-click anywhere on the page, and choose Inspect Element to open Developer Tools.

Step 2 In Developer Tools, go to the Network tab and select Media. You’ll see only audio and video file requests. If nothing shows up, just reload the page.

Tips

If you see WEBM instead of MP4, type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Search for "webm", find media.mediasource.webm.audio.enabled, and set it to false.

Step 3 Click each link to check its type. Look for one labeled "video/mp4" if you want to download the video.

Step 4 Copy the URL, remove the "range" part from the link, paste it into the address bar, and open it in the browser.

Step 5 Once the video or audio starts playing, right-click on it and choose "Save As" to download it.

iRocket Fildown

If digging through media files feels overwhelming, you're not alone. That’s why we built iRocket Fildown—to make things simpler. Just paste the video link and let the app handle the rest.

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6 Download Using yt-dlp (Command Line Tool)

Unlike other free private YouTube downloaders mentioned above, yt-dlp is a powerful open-source tool that works in the command line without a visual interface. You can use it to download any YouTube videos as well as the private ones, and choose video quality, file format, and login settings.

How to Download Private YouTube Videos with yt-dlp

Step 1 Download and install yt-dlp from its official GitHub page.

Step 2 Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux). For Windows users, press Windows key + R; for Mac users, press Command (⌘) + Spacebar.

Step 3 Enter this command (replace the placeholders accordingly): yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "PRIVATE_VIDEO_URL"

• Replace "chrome" with your actual browser name (like edge, firefox, etc.).
• Replace "PRIVATE_VIDEO_URL" with the actual private video link.

Tips

If it doesn’t work, make sure your browser is completely closed and try again—this helps yt-dlp access your login cookies.

Step 4 Press Enter, and the video should start downloading automatically.

iRocket Fildown

For many, the setup and commands can feel a bit too technical—especially if you're just trying to download a private video quickly. Then, why not give iRocket Fildown a try? It’s designed to make the same job faster and easier—no coding, no terminal, no stress.

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Bonus Tips on Private YouTube Videos

1 How to Watch Private YouTube Videos?

If you have the URL but don't have access, you can try a few tricks to watch the private YouTube video:

• Paste the video link to a YouTube private video downloader like iRocket Fildown to download it to your device.
• Remove "watch" from the private video link in the browser's search bar.

• Check for unlisted versions of the video. This method is only applicable if you had prior access. Occasionally, content creators may switch a video's privacy setting from unlisted to private. If you previously had access to an unlisted version of the video, check your browser history or saved links to see if you can still access it.

2 How Can I Download Private YouTube Videos Without Access?

To be honest, downloading private YouTube videos without access is not possible. You can request access from the uploader. If they approve, they can share a private link with you, then you can use the video downloader iRocket Fildown, developer tool, and other methods to download it.

3 Steps to Make YouTube Videos Private

Here's how to change your video privacy settings:

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• From the left menu, select Content.
• Point to the video you'd like to make private.
• Click the down arrows under "Visibility" and choose Private.
• Save.

Best Practices for Downloading Private YouTube Videos

Downloading private videos from YouTube takes a bit more finesse than public ones. To keep it safe and ethical, here are a few tips to help you out.

Always Have Permission: Ensure you’ve got permission to download private videos—respect creators' content rights.

Use Trusted Tools: Stick with well-known tools like Fildown or browser extensions to avoid viruses or shady sites.

Keep It Legal: Downloading someone’s private video without their consent? Bad idea. Always stay within the legal boundaries.

Final Words

So, now you're equipped with everything you need to download private YouTube videos. Just make sure you’re doing it right — with the uploader’s permission and the right tools. iRocket Fildown, VLC Media Player, and a few trusty online tools can all get the job done. If one doesn’t work, no stress—just move on to the next.

iRocket Fildown

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• Download private YouTube videos in 1080p without Premium
• Convert YouTube videos to MP3, AVI, MOV, MKV, and more.
• Download YouTube playlists and multiple videos in one go.
• Safe video downloads—no ads, viruses and malware.