FreeTube - The Private YouTube Client
freetubeapp.io
FreeTube is a feature-rich and user-friendly YouTube client with a focus on privacy.

FreeTube is an open-source standalone YouTube client that gives you control over what to see and what not to see on YouTube. Among my my favourite features are:

  • No Ads
  • Checkboxes to eliminate common distractions, e.g. Shorts, Trends, Live chat, Recommendations, Comments
  • Word filters and channel filters
  • Integrated SponsorBlock and DeArrow
  • History and subscriptions are saved locally, away from Google’s prying eyes
  • Easy download of videos, e.g. for securing videos or re-uploading them to a PeerTube instance (of course, only if it’s legal in your jurisdiction)

If you’re a parent, know that FreeTube also has several child safety features.

    • Novocirab@feddit.orgOPEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      I didn’t know about the web interfaces of Invidious instances. Definitey looks cool, and this redicrect domain is handy to quickly find a working instance.

      Still, FreeTube has a couple of major advantages. One is that even if your go-to Invidious instance becomes unusable, your local FreeTube configuration (subscriptions, blocks, ricings, you name it) remains 100% in effect, because FreeTube just picks a different instance. Even when Google again makes all Invidious instances dysfunctional, FreeTube may still be usable by accessing YouTube directly. Also, FreeTube likely has A LOT more options—the settings page is quite sizeable. Finally, I find it increasingly nice that it’s a standalone client separate from your browser. It makes it more deliberate to start watching videos, so that I’m less likely to go on senseless watching sprees; and conversely, when I’m watching useful videos, I’m less likely to interrupt them by going to some irrelevant website.

      • DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        0·
        2 months ago

        Cause having multiple options doesn’t hurt anybody

        What happens after the Dev gets tired of trying to fix what Google is purposely breaking?

        Never put your eggs in one basket. It’s why there is no longer a modded 3rd party twitch client on Android TV without any ads because the dev (S0und TV) pussied out and wants to put his app on the play store so he’s pleasing Google now by not breaking the TOS

  • kixik@lemmy.ml
    0·
    2 months ago

    I’ve been a long term freetube user, but lately I’m finding pipeline built locally through AUR, formerly known as feetuber, a much better experience at least for me. I’ve set it up to use ytdlp and mpv all the time, so I don’t care about Piped sites. It supports Peertube already, and it’s way light, at least with mpv playing it is

  • Hellusion@lemmy.world
    0·
    2 months ago

    It’s a good piece of software, but it breaks every couple of weeks because youtube is trying to block third party clients and the team behind freetube has to find another way to patch around it.

    • MoonMelon@lemmy.mlEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      For the times it is down, the Freetube UI offers an easy way to “open in <video player of choice>” or “open embedded player”, both of which are much better than dealing with the default youtube UI.

    • Psythik@lemm.ee
      0·
      2 months ago

      Thanks for the info. I’ll be sticking with YouTube ReVanced for mobile and SmartTubeNext for my TV. Both have been working flawlessly for years without issue.