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Pornhub removed its Download button in December 2020. If the site itself will not open, regional restrictions related to age-verification laws may be the cause. This guide explains the difference, the site’s rules and our test results from October 4, 2026.
The quick answer
- Downloads were removed in December 2020. Only paid downloads from verified models remain. No account or browser setting brings the button back.
- The site blocks whole regions. Aylo blocks 17 US states, and the UK requires an age check first. There the page fails, not the download.
- Third-party tools breach the terms. yt-dlp worked in our test, but using it on Pornhub is against the site's terms, and copyright still applies.
What happened to the Download button
In December 2020, after a New York Times column and the loss of Visa and Mastercard, Pornhub announced it had “removed the ability for users to download content from Pornhub, with the exception of paid downloads within the verified Model Program” (The Week). The aim was to stop abusive videos from being copied and re-uploaded faster than moderators could remove them. Sister sites YouPorn and RedTube follow the same policy. A clone site that still shows a “Download” button is not Pornhub.
Why the site itself will not open
In 2026 this is the more common half of “Pornhub not working.”
- 17 US states. Instead of checking IDs under new state laws, Aylo blocked those states entirely; the list reached 17 by January 2025 (PinkNews).
- United Kingdom. Since July 25, 2025, the Online Safety Act requires “highly effective” age checks before any content (PinkNews).
- Elsewhere. Several EU countries have similar checks. Japan has none, and the site loaded normally from an Asian network in our test.
Using a VPN to get around a legal age check can breach the terms and, in some places, the law. We do not recommend it.
Official options and terms
The official route: buy from the creator. Verified models can sell downloads of their own videos through the Model Program, and you get the file through Pornhub's own system. It is the only route that complies with the terms and pays the performer.
Pornhub's terms forbid downloading except through features the site provides. Any third-party tool, ours included, breaches that contract even when no copyright is infringed. Non-consensual material and any sexual content involving minors are illegal to download or possess. We are not lawyers; this is not legal advice.
Terms and law in detail
Terms. The terms page prohibits downloading, copying or reproducing content outside the site's own functionality. The site's remedy is against your account.
Copyright. Studios and performers hold the rights. Much of what appears on free tube sites was uploaded without permission, and saving such a copy is infringement in most countries. In Japan, knowingly downloading an illegal upload is an offense under the Copyright Act, even for private viewing.
Absolute lines. If you cannot be sure a video is consensual and of adults, do not save it. Pornhub's 2020 changes were a response to exactly that problem.
Tools and their limitations
Clipmoth is our own product; weigh that as you read.
| Route | Works? | Within the terms? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid download from a verified model | Yes | Yes | The only official route |
| yt-dlp (command line) | Yes, in our test | No | Needs ffmpeg above the lowest quality |
| Clipmoth for Windows | Yes, 720p in our test | No | Free 10/day · $9.99 one-time |
| Clipmoth Chrome extension | Yes, after a real click on play | No | A scripted click only loops ads |
| Online “Pornhub downloader” sites | Not tested | No | Pop-unders, fake buttons, notification scams |
Here is how yt-dlp and our Windows app differ in setup and everyday use.
| yt-dlp (command line) | Clipmoth for Windows | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, unlimited | Free 10/day · $9.99 one-time |
| Setup | The binary plus a separate ffmpeg install on your PATH for HD | One installer, ffmpeg included |
| Use | Type commands and options (-f, --merge-output-format …) | Paste the URL, pick a quality. Download queue; MP3 is one switch |
| Updates | Run yt-dlp -U yourself | The engine updates itself |
| When it fails | Read the English error output | The reason is shown in plain words (unsupported, login needed, region-locked …) |
| Best for | Fine-grained options, scripts, cookies and proxies; Mac and Linux | Windows users who want to click, not type |
yt-dlp runs on your own computer and needs ffmpeg to merge HD video and audio; it cannot get past a regional block or age check.
Desktop apps: our Clipmoth app cannot get past DRM, logins, age gates or regional blocks either, and the same terms problem applies.
Our browser extension saves the HLS stream playing on the page, so the main video must actually be playing.
Online sites fetch from datacenter IPs the site throttles and cannot merge separate audio and video.
What we tested on October 4, 2026
We ran the tools from a network in Asia on the public test videos the yt-dlp project uses for its own extractor tests.
| Tool | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| yt-dlp 2026.08.19, run on a Mac | Worked | Saved a 240p copy (361 seconds, h264 + AAC) of a public video offering 6 formats up to 720p, delivered as HLS. Two older test videos failed with the site's own messages: “This video has been disabled” and “Video has been flagged for verification in accordance with our trust and safety policy.” |
| Clipmoth for Windows 1.0.3, on a Windows PC | Worked | Saved the same video at 720p (361 seconds, h264 video with AAC audio, 68 MB). |
| Clipmoth extension (Chrome 154 and Edge 154, visible window) | Worked after a real click | A scripted click on the player only looped pre-roll ads from adtng.com, which is all our first, headless run saw. After dismissing the age prompt and clicking play with a real mouse click, the extension saved the main HLS stream: 720p, 361 seconds, h264 + AAC, 68 MB. The ads stay listed next to the main video; pick the row with the video's title. |
| Online “Pornhub downloader” sites | Not tested | We do not send URLs to third-party converter sites. |
“Supported” does not mean every video is available: the site disables and flags videos, and the tool relays the message. This is one day's result, not a promise.
When it doesn't work
- A message about your state, or an ID request. You are in a blocked or age-checked region. No page setting changes this.
- “Disabled” or “flagged” on the video page. Pornhub removed it. No tool can retrieve it.
- A short clip with a different title. You saved the pre-roll ad. Click play yourself, wait out the ad, then save the row with the video's title.
- A silent file. You got a video-only HD stream. A tool with ffmpeg merges the audio; a single-file download cannot.
- yt-dlp reports HTTP 403. Stream URLs are signed, expire within hours and may be tied to your IP. Start the download right away, on the same connection.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pornhub Premium members download videos?
No. Premium removes ads and adds higher streaming quality, but downloads were removed for every user tier at the same time as the December 2020 upload restrictions.
Is Pornhub blocked in my state?
As of January 2025 the 17 blocked states included Texas, Florida, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The list changes as new laws take effect, and the site shows a notice about the law instead of loading.
Why did my download come out as an 18-second clip?
That was a pre-roll ad, served before the main video starts. Ad blockers can also stop the player before the main video loads, which leaves only the ad for a tool to find.
Is it legal to download Pornhub videos for personal use?
It depends on the video: a pirated studio release is infringement to save in most countries, while content you bought with download rights is fine. Japan's rule against knowingly downloading illegal uploads was extended from music and video to all types of works in 2021.
A downloader for the video you have the right to keep
Clipmoth is our own downloader. The Windows app supports YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram and over 1,000 sites, with options for 4K video, playlists and MP3.
The Chrome extension saves video playing on websites such as news sites and online courses, including HLS and DASH streams. It does not support YouTube.
Both offer 10 free downloads a day. Premium removes the limit in both for a one-time payment of $9.99, with a 14-day refund policy.
Get the Windows app Add to Chrome (for video on regular websites)