How to Open YouTube Links in Safari on iPhone or iPad [No YouTube App Needed]

YouTube is one of the most popular apps on iOS, and each day, people use it for education and entertainment alike. If you’ve already installed the YouTube app, you can play content through the app each time you click on a link. But what happens if you’d rather open YouTube links in Safari and play them from your browser?

Related Reading:

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• How to Use Your iPhone as a Remote for the YouTube App on Your Smart TV
• YouTube Videos Too Slow on iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch? Try This Solution

If you would like to open YouTube links in Safari without the YouTube app then opening, follow these tips. You can utilize these for both iPhones and iPads.

Method 1: Copy and Paste the YouTube URL 

One of the best ways to play YouTube videos without using the app is by copying and pasting the URL for your video. Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Press and hold the YouTube link until you see a pop-up message asking you to copy.
2. Select Copy.
3. Launch a new Safari Tab.
4. Paste the URL into the address bar and tap go.

Method 2: Play YouTube From Your Search Results in Safari

Another option for playing YouTube videos in Safari — without needing to download the app — is to play the content from your Safari search results. To do this, you’ll need to at least know a few keywords for the video you want to watch. If you know the full title, that’s even better.

1. Open a new tab in Safari.
2. Type the keywords or title for the video that you want to watch, before hitting the go button.
3. When the search results appear, tap the Play button on the video you want to watch.
4. The video will then show up on your screen. After that, you can choose whether you want to watch your content in landscape mode — along with adjusting the volume and skipping to your preferred spot.

   

   

Method 3: Go to the YouTube Mobile Site 

Another option is to simply visit YouTube for Mobile, as you should then not be redirected to the app.

1. Open Safari.
2. Enter m.youtube.com. This is the mobile version of the site.
3. Search for the videos that you want to watch.

Method 4: Delete the YouTube App 

You can also choose to remove the YouTube app if that’s easier for you. To do that:

1. Go to the YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad screen. Then, hold on to it.
2. When the dropdown menu appears, select Remove App.
3. Tap Delete App to confirm your decision.
4. Go back to Safari and look for the videos you want to watch, before then playing them.

How to Play YouTube Videos From the Messages App

Some users have mentioned that when they try to play YouTube videos in the Messages app, they’re redirected. The good news is that now, you shouldn’t experience those issues.

Here’s how to play YouTube videos from the Messages app:

1. Tap the Play button on the video you want to watch.
2. Tap again on the video to maximize your screen.
3. Swipe up in the top right-hand corner and remove the lock icon from the Control Center to play your content in landscape mode. Then, swipe down again to remove the Control Center panel.

Play YouTube Links on Your iPhone However You Want

If you want to open YouTube links in Safari, you shouldn’t have too many problems from either your iPhone or iPad. There are plenty of options these days, and you don’t even need to delete the YouTube app if you don’t want to.

From playing videos within the Messages app to searching for your content in Google, you’ve got much more control over how you watch YouTube than used to be the case.

Danny Maiorca

Danny has been a professional writer since graduating from university in 2016, but he’s been writing online for over a decade. He has been intrigued by Apple products ever since getting an iPod Shuffle in 2008 and particularly enjoys writing about iPhones and iPads. Danny prides himself on making complex topics easy to understand. In his spare time, he’s a keen photographer.