How to watch age-restricted YouTube videos? Or even download age-restricted YouTube videos? First of all, you should learn the definition. What are age-restricted videos on YouTube? To ensure age-appropriate streaming, YouTube restricts content from playing for viewers under 18 years old featuring child safety, harmful and dangerous activities, nudity and sexually suggestive content, violent or graphic content, and vulgar language.
In some countries like Switzerland or the UK, you'll need to verify your date of birth. Nevertheless, you'll get a prompt saying ''Sorry, this content is age-restricted'' in return if you're not over 18. Luckily, where there's a will, there's a way. This post introduces 3 workable ways to bypass YouTube age restriction and download age-restricted YouTube videos to Mac with ease. Now, let's walk through the whole guide.
CONTENTHow to Watch Age-Restricted YouTube Videos (3 Ways Available)How to Download Age-Restricted YouTube Videos Using VideoHunterHow to Download YouTube Videos Age-Restricted via VLC Media PlayerHow to Download Age-Restricted Videos from YouTube to MP4 Online
How to Watch Age-Restricted YouTube Videos (3 Ways Available)
If you still want to find a direct way to stream and watch blocked YouTube videos online, there are three tricks proven to work so far. Also, it's always a good idea to download YouTube videos to Mac or Windows in case the original videos are removed or deleted somehow. Now, let's find out what the tricks are below.
Hack the Restricted YouTube URL
The first magic spell is the easiest workaround. What you need is just to modify the URL and then you're able to bypass YouTube age restriction. You just need to replace the ''watch'' with ''embed'' in the address bar, for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXX modified to https://www.youtube.com/embed?v=XXXX. Then, hit the Enter key to reload the page. YouTube will consider it as an embedded video and start streaming it for you. This tip is working so far, but we don't know whether it'll be fixed by the YouTube team.
Disable YouTube Restricted Mode
Most of the time, YouTube activates the restricted mode to filter mature content by default. If you want to watch age-restricted videos on YouTube, you can go toggle it off easily by going to your profile at the upper right corner and selecting Restricted Mode. Then, make sure that the ACTIVATE RESTRICTED MODE bar is off. Now, refresh the video and it'll start loading and playing.
Bypass YouTube Age Restriction with VPN
According to YouTube Help, people will be asked to verify their date of birth with a valid ID or credit card who are living in Australia, the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. This is required by the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the Australian Online Safety (Restricted Access Systems) Declaration. However, you can bypass YouTube age restriction by changing your IP to the US with a reliable VPN. Then, change your age up to 18 without verification so that you can watch age-restricted YouTube videos with ease.
How to Download Age-Restricted YouTube Videos on Mac Using VideoHunter
Since age-restricted videos tend to be deleted by YouTube from time to time, you may want to consider using a professional video downloader to bypass YouTube age restriction and download age-restricted videos from YouTube to MP4 on the desktop.
VideoHunter is the world's leading video downloader that can easily bypass any YouTube restrictions and download the whole library from YouTube as you wish. To get to know this expert, you should check out its amazing features.
- High-Res Video Quality - Based on the original video quality, VideoHunter can reach HD 720p, full HD 1080p, 2K, 4K, and even 8K to keep the lossless quality, while YouTube Premium only allows downloads of up to 1080p.
- YouTube to MP3 Converter - If you just want to save the audio of a YouTube video, VideoHunter lets you convert YouTube videos to MP3 format with up to 320kbps lossless sound quality.
- Batch Download - VideoHunter allows multiple download tasks at the same time, so you can download as many videos as you want from over 1,000 online video sites, including YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Pornhub, Slutload, and XXideos.
- Ultra-Fast Download Speed - With its advanced technology, VideoHunter ensures a smooth and ultra-fast download service at 6X faster than its counterparts.
- Any YouTube Video Covered - VideoHunter can download all kinds of YouTube videos, including Shorts, Playlists, Channels, private videos, unlisted videos, long videos, 2D/3D videos, VR videos, and so on.
Better yet, you don't need to subscribe to YouTube Premium to enjoy the service. Simply download and install VideoHunter on Windows or Mac, and then it takes only 2 steps to download YouTube age-restricted videos.
STEP 1. Paste the Video Link
Launch VideoHunter from your desktop and copy the link to the age-restricted YouTube video. Then, back to the main interface and paste the link into the address bar. Now, click Analyze to fetch and decrypt the video from YouTube.
STEP 2. Download Age-Restricted YouTube Videos
You'll see a window with options of different video quality after it finishes. You should pick a preferred option and go on with the Download button. Then, you can keep updated with the downloading process. When done, the downloads will be saved in the Finished tab for quick access.
How to Download YouTube Videos Age-Restricted Using VLC Media Player
If you prefer to use freeware instead, you can use the VLC Media Player to download YouTube videos. Yep, don't be fooled by its name. VLC Media Player is such a multifunctional tool. However, it takes a few steps for VLC to decode the download URL for you. Now, you may want to know how exactly it works here.
STEP 1. Launch VLC Media Player (if already installed), and go to Media - Open Network Stream.
STEP 2. Copy the YouTube age-restricted video URL and paste it to the bar in VLC Media Player.
STEP 3. Click the Play button and go to Tools - Codec Information when the video plays.
STEP 4. In the Location bar, copy the link to your browser to play. Now, right-click on the screen and select Save video as to download the age-restricted videos from YouTube to your computer.
How to Download Age-Restricted Videos from YouTube to MP4 Online
Another workable way is to use an online YouTube video downloader - U2Convert, so you can download YouTube age-restricted videos without any software. This excellent online tool lets you convert YouTube videos to MP4 and MP3 on Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone with ease. Though the sound quality can go up to 320kbps, the video quality only supports up to 1080p. If it's okay with you, let's grasp the idea of how it works through the tutorials below.
STEP 1. Copy the URL of the YouTube age-restricted video you want to download.
STEP 2. Open U2Convert directly on your browser, and paste the link into its address bar. Then, hit the CONVERT button to start fetching the video from YouTube.
STEP 3. When the options show up, pick the desired one to download the video to your device.
Conclusion
If you want to directly watch age-restricted YouTube videos, there are 3 workable methods to bypass YouTube age restriction. However, it's recommended to download age-restricted YouTube videos in case they become unavailable out of expectation. There are the 3 best YouTube downloaders introduced above. If you're hesitant to pick a suitable one, take a look at the comparison chart first.
VideoHunter | VLC Media Player | U2Convert | |
Output Formats | MP4, MP3 | MP4 | MP4, MP3 |
Video Quality | Up to 8K | Up to 1080p | Up to 1080p |
Sound Quality | Up to 320kbps | × | Up to 320kbps |
Download Speed | 6X Faster | Normal | Normal |
Batch Download | √ | × | × |
YouTube Shorts | √ | × | × |
Playlist & Channel | √ | × | × |
Supported Sites | 1,000+ sites | YouTube | YouTube |
Operating System | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS |
Pricing | Starting at $9.95 | Free | Free |
So, what's your preferred pick? Freeware and online tools are good when you don't need to download many videos from YouTube. However, if you want to get an 8K video or download a bunch of YouTube videos, VideoHunter should be on your wishlist.