To download YouTube Shorts, copy the Shorts link from the Share button, paste it into Fistty’s YouTube downloader, and tap Download. You get a clean vertical MP4 with no watermark, in the same quality the creator uploaded. It works on iPhone, Android, and desktop, and there is no app to install.
Below you will find the exact steps, an honest explanation of when a Short has a watermark and when it does not, and tips for saving Shorts in the right size for WhatsApp status and Instagram Reels.
Download it now with Fistty. Paste the link, tap Download. No app, no login, free.
How to download a YouTube Short on Fistty
- Copy the Shorts link. Open the YouTube app and swipe to the Short you want. On the right side of the screen, under the Like, Dislike, and Comments buttons, tap Share. A sheet appears with your contacts and apps. Tap Copy link. The link will look like youtube.com/shorts/abc123. On a computer, just copy the address from the browser bar.
- Open Fistty. Go to fistty.com/youtube-video-downloader in Safari, Chrome, or any browser. Shorts use the same page as normal YouTube videos.
- Paste the link. Tap inside the box at the top of the page and paste.
- Tap Download. Fistty fetches the Short and lists the formats it can save.
- Pick a quality. Shorts are vertical, so you will see options like 720p or 1080p (the height of the video). Pick 1080p for the sharpest result, or 720p to save data. There is also an MP3 option if you only want the sound.
- Save it. On Android, the file lands in your Downloads folder and appears in Gallery. On iPhone, Safari saves it to the Files app under Downloads; open the file, tap the Share icon, and tap Save Video to move it into Photos.
The whole thing takes less than a minute. Because Fistty works in the browser, it does not matter which phone brand or which version of the YouTube app you have.
Do YouTube Shorts have a watermark?
This is where a lot of guides get it wrong, so here is the honest version.
YouTube itself does not burn a watermark into Shorts. Unlike TikTok, which stamps its logo and the creator’s username on every download made through the app, YouTube serves the Short as a plain video file. When you download a Short with Fistty, you get exactly what was uploaded, with nothing added.
So where do the watermarks people complain about come from? There are three sources.
1. The creator uploaded a TikTok video
Many Shorts are TikTok videos that the creator re-posted. The TikTok logo and username are baked into the video itself. No downloader can remove them, because they are part of the picture. If you want that clip clean, find the original on TikTok and use Fistty’s TikTok downloader, which removes TikTok’s watermark. Our guide on downloading TikTok videos without watermark explains how.
2. The creator added their own handle
Some creators put their @name or a logo in the corner of every video using an editing app. Again, this is part of the video and cannot be removed by any download tool.
3. You used a downloader that adds its own logo
Some free downloader sites and apps stamp their own brand onto the file as a form of advertising. Fistty never does this. The file you get from Fistty is the original stream from YouTube with no overlay.
In short: if you download a Short with Fistty and still see a watermark, it was already in the video when the creator uploaded it.
Download YouTube Shorts in the right size for status and Reels
Shorts are 9:16 vertical videos, which is the same shape as WhatsApp status, Instagram Reels, and TikTok. That makes them easy to reuse for your own status without cropping.
| Where you want to post | Recommended quality | Length limit |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp status | 720p | Up to 60 seconds per status in 2026 (older versions cut at 30 seconds) |
| Instagram Reels | 1080p | Up to 90 seconds for most accounts |
| Personal offline viewing | 1080p | No limit |
| Sending over mobile data | 720p or 360p | No limit, but smaller is faster |
Shorts can be up to three minutes long, so if you plan to post one as a WhatsApp status, pick a Short that is under 60 seconds, or trim it in your phone’s Gallery or Photos editor after download. Our guide on downloading videos for WhatsApp status covers trimming and compression in more detail.
Downloading Shorts audio only
Many Shorts use trending sounds, remixes, or short music clips. If you only want the audio, choose the MP3 option on Fistty instead of a video quality. The file is usually under 3 MB and saves to the same Downloads folder. On Android, it shows up in your music player. On iPhone, it stays in Files, where you can play it or share it to another app.
Remember that the sound in a Short may belong to a musician or label. Using it as background in your own public video can trigger a copyright claim on YouTube or a muted post on Instagram. For personal listening, you are fine.
Downloading Shorts on a computer
The process is the same on Windows, Mac, or a Chromebook. Open the Short on youtube.com, copy the URL from the address bar, paste it into Fistty, and click the quality you want. The file lands in your browser’s Downloads folder. One useful trick: if the Shorts player opens in a full-screen vertical feed, you can replace /shorts/ in the URL with /watch?v= to open it as a normal video page. Fistty accepts both forms, so this is only for convenience when you want to read the description or comments first.
If you download a lot of Shorts for a project, keep them in one folder and rename them as you go. YouTube gives every video a random ID, and a folder full of files called abc123.mp4 is hard to search through later.
Shorts not downloading? Check these
- Wrong link type. Make sure the link contains /shorts/ or watch?v=. A channel link or a link to the Shorts feed will not work.
- Private or deleted Short. If the creator has made the Short private or removed it, Fistty cannot fetch it. No online tool can.
- Age-restricted Short. Some Shorts marked for adults only cannot be fetched without a signed-in session. Fistty never asks for your Google password, so these may fail. This is rare for Shorts.
- Browser blocked the download. On Android, check the notification shade for a Download blocked message and tap Download anyway. On iPhone, make sure Safari’s download location is set to On My iPhone under Settings > Safari > Downloads.
- Very new Short. If a Short was posted seconds ago, YouTube may still be processing the high-quality versions. Wait a few minutes and try again, or pick a lower quality.
For a full list of fixes, see YouTube Video Won’t Download? 10 Fixes.
A note on reposting Shorts
Saving a Short to watch offline or to share with a friend is fine. Re-uploading someone else’s Short to your own channel or page as if it were yours is not. YouTube can remove it, and the original creator can file a copyright claim. If you want to reuse a clip publicly, credit the creator or ask for permission. If you are a creator and believe a download of your work is being misused, you can reach us through the Fistty DMCA page.
Related guides
- How to Download YouTube Videos for Free (Online, No Software)
- How to Download YouTube Videos on Android Phones
- How to Download YouTube Videos on iPhone (Without Jailbreak)
- How to Convert YouTube to MP3 Online (High Quality)
- How to Download TikTok Videos for WhatsApp Status
Ready to try it? Fistty works in any browser on any phone or PC.
Frequently asked questions
Can you download YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Copy the Shorts link from the Share button, paste it into fistty.com/youtube-video-downloader, and tap Download. You get a vertical MP4 saved to your phone.
Do YouTube Shorts downloads have a watermark?
No. YouTube does not add a watermark to Shorts, and Fistty does not add one either. If you see a logo, it was already in the video when the creator uploaded it.
How do I download YouTube Shorts on iPhone?
Copy the link, paste it into Fistty in Safari, and tap Download. The video saves to the Files app. Open it, tap Share, then Save Video to move it to Photos.
What quality can I download Shorts in?
Usually 720p or 1080p, depending on what the creator uploaded. Fistty shows every quality that is available for that Short.
Can I download just the sound from a YouTube Short?
Yes. Choose the MP3 option on Fistty instead of a video quality. The audio file saves to your Downloads folder.
Is it legal to download YouTube Shorts?
Saving a Short for personal offline viewing is generally fine. Re-uploading someone else's Short as your own can violate YouTube's rules and copyright law.