Direct Access to Streams: How to Download YouTube Videos to Your iOS Device

A Complete Guide to Downloading YouTube Videos to iPhone or iPad

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

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Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is no secret that the iPhone and the iPad are the most popular smartphone and tablet respectively. You could argue that Samsung has impressive sales and is almost at par with Apple but in regards to sheer dominance or superiority, the South Korea based conglomerate bows down to the American tech juggernaut. YouTube is indisputably the most popular video hosting and sharing site in the world. It doesn’t help that YouTube is owned by Google, the search engine giant that also owns Android which powers all popular Samsung smartphones at the moment. As a result, what you get is a tad incompatible with YouTube and iPhone or iPad. Downloading YouTube videos is very simple if you are using an Android smartphone or a Windows computer. It is not so when you are using an iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.

You May Also Like: iPhone Video Downloaders >>

Fortunately, there are ways you can download YouTube videos to iPhone or iPad, and we aren’t talking about YouTube’s promise of offline video streaming. Here is a complete guide.

Note: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading YouTube videos/audio materials from your own channel.

First, you need a video downloader

You need a third party app which is approved by Apple and available in App Store. There are quite a few free video downloader apps that you can check. But do make sure that the app is active or usable right now. Apple is a tad infamous for deleting some of the apps from its store from time to time. If that happens after you have installed and started using a video downloader, then you can just remove it and opt for another. Most of these free video downloader apps will save your videos within the app. Some would add them to the videos in your Camera Roll. You can use AirPlay to watch the videos if you have an Apple TV. The videos saved by downloader apps will not be found in the native Videos app of iPhone or iPad. When you search for such apps, use ‘video downloader’ or ‘YouTube downloader’ as the keywords.

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Find a suitable app, download it for free and install it

Some of the downloader apps will have premium or pro versions. You don’t need to pay before you have used the free or basic version. Once installed, start the app. Most of these apps have a built-in browser which should allow you to access YouTube. In most cases, you would get to m.youtube.com. If there is no default address, then save the mobile version of YouTube as the default URL. On iPad, you can go for <www.youtube.com>.

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Downloading Youtube videos to iPhone or iPad

In all likelihood, you are familiar with how YouTube works. Search for a video that you wish to download, pick the one you want from the search results and it would automatically start to play. In some cases, you may have to click the play button or tap on the video thumbnail for it to start playing. As the video begins to stream or buffer, you would find an icon of the app, usually bobbing or hovering over the screen playing the video. You can tap on this icon, which could be a disk sign or the logo of the app. As you tap on it, you would have a popup that will prompt you to download the video that you are watching.

Depending on the app you are using, the download may begin immediately after tapping on the download icon or there can be another step, which will perhaps show you the list of downloading videos or videos that you have downloaded already. If the download doesn’t start immediately, there could be another button to initiate the download. Tap on it and you are done. The download would be automated and you don’t need to do anything else. You can also have your iPhone or iPad in sleep mode and the download would be completed, as long as there is an active internet connection. You can also see the progress made. Once the download or downloads are complete, you would get a notification. The video downloaded would be within the app’s video library or in your files.

Some apps rename the videos that are being downloaded so it is best you opt for a title or a name that will help you to recognize the video immediately. Other apps will keep the name of the video that appears on YouTube.

Almost all video downloader apps for iPhone and iPad will allow you to watch these videos offline. Some apps may need an internet connection to open but the videos saved will not require any internet to be played and replayed.

Given the fact that there are many video downloader apps and you cannot be sure of the experience of any, you will have to indulge in a bit of trial and error to find the best one.

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Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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Beyond Basic: The Advanced Techniques of YouTube Counts

How Does YouTube Count Views? It’s Not as Simple as You Think

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

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Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

## 7\. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

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2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

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4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

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1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

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6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett