Some people have concerns about data harvesting, and time wasted with intrusive ads.
For videos and privacy, or without ad interruptions, there are three choices:
(0) Download pages such as:
https://mp3juice3.ninja/ (works for music mp3 or video mp4 downloads)
(1) $$Pay$$ Google for YouTube (feed the beast with cash instead of attention and focus); however, they will raise the price from time to time and they will continue tracking you and building your case file of your preferences and history: https://www.reddit.com/r/revancedapp/comments/1shwbux/welptime_to_go_back_to_revanced/
(2) Browser extensions: If the web browser app is on a laptop or desktop, go to “Settings” and then “Plugins” or “Addons” or “Extensions” and install (may work for androids but not iphones):
(2aa): uBlockOrigin: all PC browsers should have this installed first before anything else.
(2a) “youtube ad blocker” or
(2b) Youtube downloader” to help download videos onto your machine, sorted into folders, for use any time.
By the way—you’re using a non-Chrome, non-google browser, right? Like search.brave.com and Brave browser.
Link below to search for extensions:
https://search.brave.com/search?q=youtube+downloader+plugins+extensions+and+addons+for+Brave%2C+Firefox%2C+and+other+top+browsers&summary=1&conversation=092ea9c7c37d233f6bfab4c7204adbd30595
Also:
https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1t4ozq7/best_app_to_download_youtube_videos_to_mp4/
(Option 3) Use a privacy front-end (such as Invidious, FreeTube, MeTube, NewPipe, and PipePipe) which plays videos without connecting the user to youtube/google. Pick an instance from
https://docs.invidious.io/instances/
such as the Nadeko instance, and search for your favorite video in their platform. Once at your chosen instance, search either by exact video title (best) or by its code “v?=yyyyyyyyyyy” (hit or miss).
(4) Search, View, and Upload content to Rumble instead of youtube (Odysee and DailyMotion are some other alternatives, which generally have better free speech and anti-censorship policies, but with lower levels of video content available thus far. These options may also have ads).
(5) Independent tools such as those mentioned in: https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1tptchz/comment/opzgjke/
(6) More tips, if editing the url seems easy to you:
These examples below demonstrate very direct methods to download YouTube videos by changing URL without any software. Try any of them as you wish.
Tip #1: Change YouTube to ssyoutube
youtube.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s -> ssyoutube.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s
Tip #2: Change YouTube to youpak
youtube.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s -> youpak.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s
Tip #3: Insert “pp” after “youtube”
youtube.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s -> youtubepp.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s
Tip #4: Add “pwn” before “youtube”
youtube.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s -> pwnyoutube.com/watch?v=C6MVEwl0ceI&t=2s
- Notice:
- Keep in mind: These tricks won’t be available all the time because some of the online video downloading services may not last very long.
(7) Technical option such as Parabolic for Windows, MacOS, or Linux:
https://github.com/NickvisionApps/Parabolic/releases
(7a) GrayJay & PeerTube (also a bit technical): https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1tobjyc/comment/oo84qn6/
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