DB Labs
The Short Answer
YouTube downloads (Premium only) are large video files. To delete them: YouTube → Library → Downloads → swipe left on any video → Delete. To delete all at once: profile icon → Settings → Downloads → Delete All Downloads. Lower your download quality to 360p or 480p to dramatically reduce file sizes. Enable Smart Downloads to auto-delete watched videos. YouTube also caches streaming data separately — offloading and reinstalling clears that.
How Much Storage YouTube Downloads Use
| Quality | 10-min Video | 60-min Video | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full HD (1080p) | 400–600 MB | 2–4 GB | Looks sharp but very large |
| HD (720p) | 200–350 MB | 1–2 GB | Good balance for phone viewing |
| Standard (480p) | 100–150 MB | 600 MB–1 GB | Recommended for storage savings |
| Low (360p) | 60–100 MB | 350–600 MB | Fine for podcasts/talks |
Most people cannot tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 6-inch phone screen. Switching from 1080p to 720p halves the file size with no perceptible quality loss.
How to Delete YouTube Downloads
1 Delete Individual Videos
Open YouTube and tap Library at the bottom of the screen. Tap Downloads to see all your offline videos. Swipe left on any video and tap Delete. Alternatively, tap the three-dot menu (···) on any video and select Remove Download.
2 Delete All Downloads at Once
Tap your profile icon (top right) → Settings → Downloads → Delete All Downloads. Confirm the prompt. All offline videos are removed immediately. Your YouTube account, playlists, and watch history are not affected.
Change Download Quality
To set a lower default quality for future downloads: tap your profile icon → Settings → Downloads → Download Quality. Select 720p, 480p, or 360p. This setting applies globally — all new downloads use the chosen quality. For long-form content like podcasts or lectures where visuals are not critical, 360p is perfectly adequate.
Enable Smart Downloads and Auto-Delete
YouTube's Smart Downloads feature automatically manages your downloads library. In Settings → Downloads:
- Smart Downloads: When enabled, YouTube automatically downloads recommended videos when you are on Wi-Fi and deletes watched videos to make room. This keeps a rolling selection of fresh content without manual management.
- Auto-delete watched videos: Toggle this on so videos are deleted automatically after you finish watching them, rather than sitting in your Downloads library forever.
Clear YouTube's Streaming Cache
Even without Premium downloads, YouTube's streaming player caches video data as you watch. This streaming cache typically stays under 500 MB, but it can grow on heavily used devices. iOS also counts some YouTube streaming cache under System Data rather than the YouTube app listing.
To clear the streaming cache, offload YouTube via Settings → General → iPhone Storage → YouTube → Offload App, then reinstall. This removes all local data including the streaming cache without affecting your YouTube account or subscriptions.
Best Practices for Ongoing YouTube Storage
- Only download for specific trips: Download videos the day before you need offline access, then delete them when you return to Wi-Fi.
- Prefer 480p for offline: Most travel viewing situations do not benefit from 1080p downloads — the battery cost and storage cost are both unnecessarily high.
- Review Downloads weekly: A quick monthly check of Library → Downloads prevents accumulation.
For broader iPhone storage management, see our complete iPhone storage guide and our article on managing Netflix downloads.