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You cannot currently download a separate official YouTube desktop program from the Chrome Web Store for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Google ended support for Chrome Apps on those platforms after December 2022.
The supported desktop option is to install YouTube as a Chrome web app. It opens in its own app-style window and can have a shortcut in your Start menu, Applications folder, desktop, taskbar, or dock. If Chrome does not offer the web-app installation control, you can create a website shortcut instead.
What you are actually installing
The YouTube desktop option is a web app based on youtube.com. It is not a separately downloaded YouTube executable like the YouTube apps available for phones and tablets.
Your videos, subscriptions, playlists, comments, and recommendations still come from the YouTube website. You can sign in with your Google account in the usual way. The main difference is that Chrome can open YouTube in a dedicated window rather than inside a normal browser tab.
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Before you start: install or update Chrome
You need a desktop version of Google Chrome. Google’s current minimum requirements are:
| Platform | Minimum requirement listed by Google |
|---|---|
| Windows with Intel processor | Windows 10 or later, with an Intel Pentium 4 or later supporting SSE3 |
| Windows with ARM processor | Windows 11 or later |
| Mac | macOS 12 Monterey or later |
| Linux | 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, openSUSE 15.5+, or Fedora Linux 39+, with a compatible Intel processor supporting SSE3 |
Download Chrome from google.com/chrome if it is not already installed.
Install Chrome on Windows
- Download the Chrome installation file.
- Open the downloaded file and select Run if Windows asks.
- Select Yes when Windows asks whether you want to allow the app to make changes to your device.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. Chrome normally opens when installation finishes.
Install Chrome on macOS
- Open the downloaded
googlechrome.dmgfile. - Drag the Chrome icon to the Applications folder.
- Open Chrome from Applications or Launchpad.
- Enter an administrator password if macOS requests one.
Install Chrome on Linux
- Download the Chrome package for your distribution.
- Open the downloaded package.
- Select OK, then select Install package.
- Enter an administrator password when prompted.
Chrome is added to the system’s software manager so it can receive updates. If the target Windows computer has no internet connection, Google also provides an offline installer: on another computer, open Chrome’s download page, select Other platforms under Chrome family, choose the target operating system, and transfer the downloaded installer to the other computer.
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This is the preferred method when Chrome displays the installation option.
- Open Chrome on your laptop or PC.
- Go to
https://www.youtube.com. - Select the three-dot More menu in the upper-right corner.
- Select Cast, save and share.
- Select Install page as app….
- Confirm the installation by following Chrome’s instructions.
Chrome may show an Install icon on the right side of the address bar instead. Select that icon and approve the installation. It starts the same web-app setup.
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After installation, look for YouTube in your computer’s app launcher. You can also use Chrome’s app management page at chrome://apps. The installed app may open without the standard browser tab bar, making it behave more like a conventional desktop application.
Create a YouTube shortcut if installation is unavailable
Chrome does not guarantee that every website will always display an install control. If Install page as app… and the address-bar Install icon are missing, create a shortcut:
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https://www.youtube.com. - Select the three-dot More menu.
- Select More Tools.
- Select Create shortcut.
- Enter a name, such as YouTube.
- Select Create.
On Windows, Linux, and Chromebook, Chrome documents this as creating a website shortcut “as an app.” Depending on your operating system and the options Chrome presents, you can place the shortcut on the desktop, in the application menu, or on the taskbar or dock.
Put the shortcut somewhere easier to reach
If YouTube is already listed in Chrome’s app page:
- Open a new Chrome tab.
- Enter
chrome://appsin the address bar and press Enter. - Right-click the YouTube app or shortcut.
- Select Create shortcut.
- Choose where to place it.
- Select Create.
You can then pin the resulting shortcut to the Windows taskbar or Start menu, or add it to the macOS Dock in the same way as other application shortcuts.
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Make YouTube open when the computer starts
Chrome can launch an installed web app automatically:
- Open
chrome://apps. - Right-click the YouTube app.
- Select Launch at startup.
To turn this off later, return to chrome://apps, right-click YouTube, and clear Launch at startup.
Use this option carefully on slower computers: YouTube can consume memory and network bandwidth as soon as you sign in, particularly if several browser and startup applications are already running.
Uninstall the YouTube web app
- Open the YouTube web app.
- Select the three-dot More menu.
- Select Uninstall YouTube (the wording may use the app’s name).
- Select Remove.
If Chrome offers Also delete data from Chrome, select it if you also want to remove the app’s stored Chrome data. Removing the web app does not delete your Google account, YouTube channel, subscriptions, or uploaded videos.
Why the Chrome Web Store method no longer works
Older guides may tell you to search the Chrome Web Store for a YouTube app and select Add to Chrome. That advice refers to Chrome Apps, an older app format. Google says Chrome Apps stopped working on Windows, Mac, and Linux after December 2022.
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Therefore, do not download a supposed “YouTube PC app” from an unrelated website just because the Chrome Web Store does not show one. The current official desktop route is YouTube’s Chrome web app or a Chrome website shortcut.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| There is no Install page as app option. | Use More → More Tools → Create shortcut. Chrome does not expose an install control for every site or browser state. |
| YouTube opens in a normal browser tab. | Check chrome://apps for the installed item, or create a shortcut again using the documented menu path. |
| Installation is blocked on a work or school computer. | The device may be managed by an administrator. Ask the organization’s IT department; reinstalling Chrome generally will not override its policy. |
| The shortcut is missing after creation. | Open chrome://apps, right-click YouTube, and use Create shortcut to place it again. |
| You expected offline video downloads. | A desktop shortcut does not download videos. Offline downloads are a separate YouTube Premium feature. |
Can you download YouTube videos on a PC?
Installing YouTube as a web app does not save videos for offline playback. YouTube Premium subscribers can download eligible videos from a video’s Watch page while signed in on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera. Select Download below the video.
This is separate from installing YouTube and does not create a desktop YouTube program. Download availability, storage, and playback are controlled by YouTube and the Premium account.
FAQ
Is there an official YouTube app for Windows, Mac, or Linux?
There is no current YouTube Chrome App distributed through the Chrome Web Store for those desktop operating systems. The supported Chrome option is to install YouTube as a web app or create a website shortcut.
Where is the YouTube app after I install it?
Open your computer’s application launcher and search for YouTube. You can also open a Chrome tab, enter chrome://apps, and manage the installed item there.
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Why can’t I see “Install page as app…” in Chrome?
Chrome only displays the installation control on some websites and in some browser states. Use More → More Tools → Create shortcut as the fallback.
Does the YouTube web app work without internet access?
The web app itself requires an internet connection to stream YouTube. YouTube Premium offline downloads are a separate feature and are not created by installing the web app.
Will uninstalling the web app delete my YouTube account?
No. Uninstalling removes the Chrome web app and, if you choose, its local Chrome data. It does not delete your Google account, channel, subscriptions, playlists, or uploads.
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The Bottom Line
For a laptop or PC, install YouTube through Chrome rather than looking for an old Chrome Web Store app: open YouTube, choose More → Cast, save and share → Install page as app…, and confirm. If that option is unavailable, use More → More Tools → Create shortcut. Both methods give you quick desktop access to YouTube without downloading an unofficial program.
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