How to Get the YouTube App on Windows 11

To get a YouTube app on Windows 11, open youtube.com in Chrome or Edge and install the website as an app. In Chrome, select More > Cast, save, and share > Install page as app. In Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more > More tools > Apps > Install this site as an app. YouTube then opens in its own window and can be pinned to the taskbar or Start menu.

This is a web app: the YouTube website running in a separate window without the browser’s tabs and address bar. It is free, it takes a minute to set up, and you can remove it at any time. It does not save videos to your computer, and it still needs an internet connection to play them.

Before You Start

• Windows version: these steps are written for Windows 11 laptops and desktops. The browser steps are the same on Windows 10.
• Browser: you need Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Edge is already installed on Windows 11.
• Up-to-date browser: menu names change between versions. If your menus look different, update the browser first (see the troubleshooting section).
• Account: you do not need to sign in to install the app. Sign in to YouTube afterward if you want your subscriptions, history and playlists.
• The right address: only install from https://www.youtube.com. Check the address bar before you select Install.

Install YouTube as an App With Chrome

1. Open Chrome and go to https://www.youtube.com. Wait for the page to finish loading.
2. At the top right of the Chrome window, select the three-dot More menu.
3. Point to Cast, save, and share, then select Install page as app. On some sites Chrome also shows an Install icon at the right end of the address bar, which does the same thing.
4. A small prompt appears with the app name. Select Install.
5. YouTube opens in a new window of its own. Its icon appears on the taskbar while the window is open.

These steps match Google’s Chrome help page for web apps. To see every web app Chrome has installed, type chrome://apps in the Chrome address bar and press Enter. From that page you can right-click YouTube and select Create shortcut to choose where a shortcut appears, or select Launch at startup if you want the app to open when you sign in to Windows.

Install YouTube as an App With Microsoft Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge and go to https://www.youtube.com.
2. At the top right, select the three-dot Settings and more menu.
3. Select More tools, then Apps, then Install this site as an app. Edge may instead name the site in the menu or show an install prompt in the address bar. Menu placement can vary by Edge version.
4. Review the prompt and select Install.
5. YouTube opens in its own window, and the app is listed at edge://apps.

Microsoft documents this route in its guide to installing and managing apps in Edge. To open the app later from the browser, go to edge://apps and select Open on the YouTube card. Select Details on the same card to find Pin to taskbar, Pin to Start, Create Desktop shortcut and an Auto-start on device login switch.

Which Browser Should You Use?

Use the browser you already watch YouTube in. A web app runs on top of the browser that installed it, so installing from the browser where you are already signed in usually saves you from signing in again. The app is the same YouTube website either way. Install it from one browser only, or you will end up with two YouTube entries that look alike.

Task	Chrome	Edge
Install	More > Cast, save, and share > Install page as app	Settings and more > More tools > Apps > Install this site as an app
See installed apps	chrome://apps	edge://apps
Create a shortcut	Right-click the app at chrome://apps > Create shortcut	Details > Pin to taskbar, Pin to Start or Create Desktop shortcut
Uninstall	In the app window: More > Uninstall > Remove	edge://apps > Details > Uninstall

Confirm It Worked and Pin the App

You know the install worked when YouTube opens in a window with no tabs and no normal address bar, and a YouTube icon sits on the taskbar. Close the window, select Start, and type YouTube. The app should appear in the results like any other app.

To keep it one click away, open the app, right-click its taskbar icon and select Pin to taskbar. Our guide on how to pin to the taskbar in Windows 11 covers the other pinning methods. If you would rather keep a plain website link than an installed app, see how to add a website to the taskbar or how to make a desktop shortcut for a website.

What the App Can and Cannot Do

The installed app shows the same YouTube you see in a browser tab: search, subscriptions, playlists, comments and your account settings. It does not add features that the website lacks, and it does not turn YouTube into a program that works without the internet.

Offline viewing is a separate, paid feature. YouTube’s help page for watching videos offline on a computer says you must be signed in to a YouTube Premium account, where Premium is available. On a video’s watch page, select Download below the video, then find saved videos under Downloads in the left menu. YouTube says downloaded videos can be played offline for up to 29 days before the device has to reconnect, and less in some countries or regions. The downloads stay inside YouTube. They are not video files you can open in another player. The same feature works on a phone, as shown in how to download a YouTube video on an iPhone 11.

Be Careful With Other YouTube Downloads

Google’s help pages direct computer users to youtube.com in a browser, and the browser install above is the method Google and Microsoft document. Be cautious with anything else that calls itself YouTube for PC. A Microsoft Store listing with a familiar name or icon is not necessarily published by Google, so check the publisher name and the description before installing one. Avoid installer files from download sites that claim to be an official YouTube program. You do not need one to get an app window, and an unknown installer can carry unwanted software.

How to Uninstall the YouTube App

Removing the app only removes the window and its shortcuts. Your YouTube account, subscriptions and history are stored with your Google account and are not deleted. Each browser offers an optional checkbox to delete the app’s data as well. If you tick it, expect to sign in to the site again next time.

• Chrome: open the YouTube app window, select the three-dot More menu at the top right, select Uninstall YouTube, then Remove.
• Edge: go to edge://apps, select Details on the YouTube card, select Uninstall, choose whether to delete the app’s history and data, then select Uninstall again.
• Windows Settings: select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. If YouTube is listed there, select More (three dots) next to it, then Uninstall. If it is not listed, use the browser method.

If You Cannot Find the Install Option

• The menu item has a different name. Browsers rename these entries from time to time. Look for any item that mentions Install or Apps in the three-dot menu, or an install icon in the address bar.
• The browser is out of date. In Chrome, select More > Help > About Google Chrome and select Relaunch if an update is waiting. In Edge, select Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge. Our guide on how to update Microsoft Edge has more detail.
• YouTube is already installed. Check chrome://apps or edge://apps. If YouTube is listed, open it from there instead of installing again.
• You are on the wrong page. Make sure the address is youtube.com, not a search results page or another site that embeds a video.
• The option is missing or greyed out on a work or school computer. An organization can manage browser settings. Ask your administrator, or keep using YouTube in a normal tab.
• You are in a private window. If the option does not appear in an Incognito or InPrivate window, open a regular window and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an official YouTube program for Windows 11?

The method Google documents for computers is the YouTube website in a browser, and both Chrome and Edge can install that website as an app. Treat any separate download that claims to be an official YouTube program for PC with caution, and check who published it.

Is the YouTube app free on Windows 11?

Yes. Installing the website as an app costs nothing and does not need a subscription. YouTube Premium is only needed for extras such as downloading videos to watch offline.

Does the YouTube app work offline?

Not for normal streaming. Videos need an internet connection. Only videos downloaded with a YouTube Premium account can be played without one, and YouTube limits how long they stay available offline.

Do I have to keep Chrome or Edge installed?

Yes. The YouTube app is a website window that depends on the browser that installed it. If you remove that browser, install the app again from the other one.

Will the app update itself?

There is nothing to update by hand for YouTube itself, because the app loads the live website each time. Keep the browser updated so the app keeps working well.

Can I use these steps on Windows 10?

Yes. The Chrome and Edge menus are the same on Windows 10. Only the Windows Settings path for uninstalling apps is slightly different.

Next Step

Open youtube.com in the browser you use most, install it with the path above, and pin the new icon to your taskbar. If you change your mind, uninstalling takes three clicks and leaves your YouTube account untouched.