When you rent a movie on YouTube how long does it last?

Q: When you buy a movie on YouTube do you keep it forever?

Purchased Content. The Locker Period” will be for at least 5 years from the date of your purchase (subject to the restrictions described in the YouTube Paid Service Terms of Service). Each item of purchased content may have a different Locker Period and you agree to the Locker Period before you order it.

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How long does a rented movie last on YouTube?
When you buy a movie on YouTube do you keep it forever?
Can I watch rented YouTube movies offline?
How do I access a rented movie on YouTube?

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This wikiHow teaches you how to rent or purchase movies on YouTube, as well as how to track down free full-length movies on YouTube. You'll need to use the YouTube website to purchase or rent movies, though you can search for free full-length movies on both the mobile and the desktop versions of YouTube.

1
Open the YouTube site. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ in your computer's browser. This will open your YouTube home page if you're already logged in.
- If you aren't already logged in, click Sign in in the top-right corner of the page, then enter your email address and password.
2
Click the search bar. It's at the top of the YouTube home page.
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3
Type in youtube movies, then press ↵ Enter. This will search for the YouTube Movies channel, which is where YouTube hosts movies available for rent or purchase.
4
Click YouTube Movies. It should be the top search result. This channel title is next to a white film strip icon on a red background. Clicking it will open the YouTube Movies channel.
5
Select a movie to rent or purchase. Click a movie on the YouTube Movies home page to open its preview window.
- You can scroll down to view more movies.
6
Click the price button. It's a blue button below and to the right of the movie's preview window. This button will usually say FROM [Price] on it. A pop-up window will appear.
- If the movie isn't available for rent, you'll just see the price listed on this button.
7
Select a quality. Click either the SD tab or the HD tab at the top of the pop-up window to select standard definition or high definition, respectively.
- Standard definition typically costs a little bit less to rent or purchase.
- Some movies won't have this option.
8
Click RENT or BUY. You'll see both of these buttons near the bottom of the pop-up window.
- If your movie is only available for purchase, you won't see the RENT option.
9
Enter your card details. You'll need to type in your credit or debit card's number, expiration date, and cardholder name.
- If your browser (or your Google account) has your card saved, just enter the three-digit security code.
10
Click BUY. It's the blue button at the bottom of the pop-up window. This will confirm your choice and rent or purchase your selected movie. You can watch it directly from here, or you can access it by going to https://www.youtube.com/purchases/ and clicking it there.
- You can also watch your movie on mobile devices on which you're signed into the YouTube app with the same account by tapping the Library tab, tapping Purchases, and selecting your movie.[1]
- You'll click BUY even if you're just renting the movie.

1
Open YouTube. Either tap the YouTube app icon that resembles a white triangle on a red background (mobile), or go to https://www.youtube.com/ on your computer (desktop). This will open your YouTube home page if you're logged in.
- If you aren't logged in, select Sign In and then enter your email address and password before continuing.
2
Select the search bar. Tap the magnifying glass icon (mobile) or click the search bar at the top of the page (desktop).
3
Enter a movie title. Type in your movie's title along with the year, then tap Search or press ↵ Enter. This will search YouTube for the movie.
- For example: to find Alien: Covenant on YouTube, you would type alien covenant 2017 into YouTube.
- Keep in mind that you're more likely to find the full version of an older, less popular movie on YouTube than you are to find a newer release.
4
Review the search results. Scroll through the search results to see if you can find a full version of the movie you searched for.
5
Select a movie. Tap or click a video that resembles the same length as the movie you're looking for. As long as you have a consistent Internet or data connection, it will begin playing.
- Very rarely will you be able to find a full-length movie for free on YouTube.

Add New Question

Question
When I want to watch a movie, it makes me pay, but I don't want to. Any suggestions? Plus, the movie I want to watch is not new.

Mallory Myers
Community Answer
The movie companies spent a lot of money making that movie, so they need to make money off of that movie, which is why you need to pay for movies in most cases. Even if the movie is not new, many times full length movies on YouTube are put there illegally.
Question
If I have a YouTube account, do I have to pay for a movie and if so, how?

No, you should not ever have to pay for any video you watch on YouTube, unless you choose to give a donation to support an account you really like.
Question
I have YouTube, but it says no connection, what do I do?

Try turning your internet router off and then back on. If that doesn't work, contact your service provider.

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After renting a movie, you have 30 days to begin watching it before it will expire. Once you start watching the movie, you have 48 hours to finish it before it expires from your library.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Refrain from downloading full movies that you find for free on YouTube, as doing so may constitute piracy in your country.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

About This Article

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 258,844 times.

Did this article help you?

How long does a rented movie last on YouTube?

A. For most movies, viewers will have 30 days to begin watching their rental. Once they start watching the movie they will typically have 24 hours to finish. Q.

When you buy a movie on YouTube do you keep it forever?

Purchased Content. The “Locker Period” will be for at least 5 years from the date of your purchase (subject to the restrictions described in the YouTube Paid Service Terms of Service). Each item of purchased content may have a different Locker Period and you agree to the Locker Period before you order it.

Can I watch rented YouTube movies offline?

YouTube movie & TV show purchases can now be viewed offline using the YouTube app. Once you buy or rent the content you're interested in, it can be downloaded on an iOS or Android device and watched at any time. Your device won't have to be connected to the internet to watch your content.

How do I access a rented movie on YouTube?

To access purchased movies and TV shows on a computer, sign in to YouTube and select “Your Movies & Shows” on the left side menu. From there, select “Purchased” to view movies and TV shows you've purchased. You can watch movies and shows that you've rented or purchased on web browsers that support HTML5 playback.