How to install YouTube web app on Windows 11, 10

• Install YouTube as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
• Use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome to install the app in just a few clicks.
• The app opens in its own window, supports Start menu and taskbar pinning, and updates automatically.
• The PWA doesn’t support offline video downloads and still requires an internet connection.

Although Google still doesn’t offer an official YouTube app for Windows 11 or Windows 10, you can install the service as an app using its Progressive Web App (PWA). Since YouTube is built with PWA support, you can install it through Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, giving you an experience that feels much closer to a native application.

A Progressive Web App is a website packaged as an app. After installation, YouTube opens in its own window, can be pinned to the Start menu and taskbar, launches like any other application, and updates automatically through the browser. However, the available features depend on what Google enables for the web app.

For YouTube, the PWA provides the core viewing experience, but it doesn’t include every feature you would expect from a native application. For example, offline video downloads aren’t available, and an internet connection is still required to stream content.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to install and uninstall the YouTube app on Windows 11. These same instructions also work on Windows 10.

• Install YouTube app on Windows 11 from Edge
• Install YouTube app on Windows 10 from Chrome
• Pureinfotech’s Take

Install YouTube app on Windows 11 from Edge

To install the YouTube app on Windows 11 (or 10), use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.

2. Open YouTube (web).

3. Click the Settings and more (three-dotted) button in the top-right corner.

4. Select the More tools submenu, then Apps, and choose the Install YouTube option.

   

5. Click the Install button.

Once you complete the steps, the progressive web app (PWA) version of YouTube will install on Windows and be available from the Start menu.

To uninstall the YouTube app from Microsoft Edge and Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, open the YouTube app menu (three dots), choose “Uninstall,” and select “Uninstall” again.

Install YouTube app on Windows 11 from Chrome

To install YouTube as a web app with Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.

2. Open YouTube (web).

3. Click the Customize and Control (three-dotted) button in the top-right corner.

4. Select the Cast, save, and share submenu and choose the Install YouTube option.

   

5. Click the “Install” button.

Once you complete the steps, Google Chrome will install the progressive web app (PWA) version of YouTube on Windows 11 (or 10). Also, similar to Edge, the app will now be available from the Start menu.

To uninstall the YouTube app from Microsoft Edge and Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, open the YouTube app menu (three dots), choose “Uninstall,” and select “Uninstall” again.

Pureinfotech’s Take

I still find it surprising that Google has never released an official YouTube app for Windows. At this point, though, I don’t expect that to change. The web has become Google’s primary platform for YouTube, and the Progressive Web App is clearly the company’s answer for desktop users.

The reality is that installing the PWA makes sense because there isn’t another option if you want YouTube to behave more like a Windows 11 app. It launches in its own window, can live on the Taskbar, and feels a little more integrated with the desktop than keeping another browser tab open. It’s not a replacement for a true native application, but for most people, it’s close enough.

If you’re hoping for extra features like offline downloads, you’ll still come up short. However, if your goal is simply to make YouTube easier to access on Windows 11 (or 10), I’d recommend installing the PWA and forgetting about it.

Would you rather Google build a real YouTube app for Windows, or is the current web app good enough? Let me know in the comments.