Solved: YouTube Not Enough Space to Download

Adjust your download resolution to accommodate more videos

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by Claire Moraa 

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When you attempt to save YouTube videos offline to watch later, you may encounter not enough space to download error.

Offline videos come in handy especially if you want to save on data or you’re in an area with unstable or poor internet connection. However, if your device comes with limited internal storage, or you allow built-up cache to linger too long, you may be hit with the not enough storage issue.

The number and quality of your downloaded offline videos also matter. If they are too many and of high quality, your storage space will be depleted much quicker.

How do I free up space on YouTube downloads?

1. Delete superfluous downloads

1.1 YouTube for Web

  1. Navigate to your browser and go to the YouTube site.
  2. Click on your profile picture and select Settings.
  3. Select Downloads and click on Delete all downloads.

1.2 YouTube Android

  1. Launch your YouTube app on your phone.
  2. Tap on the Settings icon at the top right corner.
  3. Select Downloads and tap on Delete all downloads.

Note that YouTube TV does not have the offline videos feature.

2. Adjust download settings

2.1 YouTube for Web

  1. Navigate to your browser and go to the YouTube site.
  2. Click on your profile picture and select Settings.
  3. Select Downloads and check medium or low.

2.2 YouTube Android

  1. Launch your YouTube app on your phone.
  2. Tap on the Settings icon at the top right corner.
  3. Select Downloads.
  4. Tap on Download quality and select the low or medium.

Low-quality videos have a small storage footprint and allow you to download more videos without depleting your storage as quickly when compared to high-quality videos. the only downside is that the visual clarity will be downgraded.

3. Clear YouTube cache

3.1 YouTube for Web

  1. For this step, we shall be using the Chrome browser.
  2. Launch your Chrome browser and click the three vertical ellipses in the top right corner.
  3. Select Settings.Settings CHrome
  4. Click on Privacy and security, then select Clear browsing data.
  5. Check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, then hit Clear data.Clear data

3.2 YouTube for Android

  1. Tap on settings on your phone.
  2. Next, tap on Apps.
  3. Find the YouTube app and tap on it.
  4. Scroll down and select Storage.
  5. Tap on Clear data and Clear cache, then try again.

4. Free up internal storage

4.1 PC

  1. Click the Windows button and select Settings.windows 11 settings
  2. Access the System option from the right and select Storage.storage settings windows 11
  3. Now toggle the Storage Sense button to On.windows 11 sense
  4. If you click on the Storage Sense option further, you can configure it. By default, the feature will start to clean up unnecessary files in a low disk space situation. You can change that by clicking on the Run Storage Sense menu.windows 11 sense settings
  5. Select the right option for you to act automatically. You can choose from three settings: daily, weekly or monthly.windows 11 sense menu

Aside from enabling Storage Sense, there are other ways to conduct a Disk Cleanup on your Windows device to free up even more space.

4.2 Android

On your Android device, you can free up your internal storage space by clearing app cache, deleting unnecessary files or moving some of these files to your SD card or cloud storage.

5. Explore external storage options

  1. Launch the YouTube app and find the video you wish to download.
  2. Tap the download button below the video player and select the quality.
  3. Select SD card as the download location.

The good thing is you can download videos to an SD card but unfortunately, this option is only available to YouTube premium subscribers. With YouTube premium, you’ll also get access to blocked videos.

Additional tips to optimize YouTube storage

  • Perform regular storage checks to get rid of unwanted files. This will ensure you always have enough space for your downloads.
  • Whenever possible, opt for streaming directly instead of downloading. And if you must download, ensure you delete the video immediately after you’re done watching.
  • Consider using the lite version of YouTube. These versions are usually lenient on your data so you might not even need to download offline videos.
  • Clear cache regularly to prevent storage depletion and lags and update the YouTube app whenever a new update is available for performance improvements.

After you solve your storage woes, you can go ahead and switch to YouTube dark version. This will not only offer you an aesthetical view but also be easy on your eyes especially if you’re on the screen for hours on end.

You may also want to try out with other YouTube apps for your PC. These alternatives come with advanced features and allow you to customize to your preferences.

Hopefully, one of these solutions has enabled you to reclaim your storage space and download more offline YouTube videos.

We’re open to hearing any other suggestions you may have on this topic so leave us a comment below with your thoughts.

More about the topics: YouTube

Claire Moraa

Claire Moraa Shield

Windows Software Expert

Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She's driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft's products. With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.