I’m using this all the time myself. There is no login to YouTube required and it supports adding subscriptions and doing everything important you can do on YouTube.
SmartTube beta on Android TV is fanfuckingtastic.
Freetube is the best way to watch YouTube
Submitted 2 weeks ago by 1984@lemmy.today to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.popsci.com/diy/youtube-alternative-freetube/
Comments
sndmn@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
jetliswar@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ive been using it for years now and holy shit. Even if it doesnt blocked ads and even youtubers own ads, the app itself is FAR superior than anything what this vanilla youtube app is supposed to be.
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Even if it doesnt blocked ads and even youtubers own ads
You mean even if it didn’t? Because it definitely DOES and you’re absolutely right about the rest
candyman337@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
+1
paw@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Can it be used on a “normal” android phone or just android tv?
noodlejetski@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
sndmn@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
It’s a no for phones, set top (android) boxes only. My friend has had success running it on Windows 11 and casting to his TV.
PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Use revanced
SmileyBMM@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
I prefer NewPipe/Tubular so much that I don’t even use my desktop for YouTube anymore.
Pringles@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
NewPipe stopped working for me some time ago, switched over to rvx which seems to work fine.
lemmyvore@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
It stops working occasionally but they release fixed versions pretty fast.
moepoi@forum.moe.onl 2 weeks ago
For some reason like recommendation algorithm, I still use youtube premium.
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
How is that different from the free version in a browser with Ublock Origin?
Kbobabob@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I guess I have to ask the same question about freetube.
noodlejetski@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
I wish it didn’t use Electron.
1984@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Since they are integrating a web browser in the app, it kind of make sense here actually. For code editors though, not great…
noodlejetski@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
Since they are integrating a web browser in the app
are they, though? I thought they just grab whatever data Invidious API fetches and display it with their method of choice, similar to how mobile clients for Invidious and Piped work. PlasmaTube manages to do similar thing without becoming a single purpose web browser.
Freuks@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
Using it for years yes
ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
The recommendation algorithm is the reason I use YouTube. Well over half of the videos I’m watching are from channels I’m not even subscribed to. Ads can be blocked as always.
_sideffect@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
My lg tv is jailbroken so I have the ad blocked version of YouTube on it, but I was on my Chromecast with Google tv yesterday and decided to go back to the regular YouTube app since I was there.
I was watching a video of 20 minutes in length, and got one 30 second ad at the start; ok fine.
After 4 minutes, they decided to show me a 50 second unskippable ad.
I backed out of the video, and deleted the regular app.
Fuck Google.
uranibaba@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
How do you jb LG tv?
sorrybookbroke@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Oh shit, I just made the switch and I’m liking it. I just “favourite” things from my sub feed in one small window, and watch in the other, and it autoplays (if I want) so I can just start doing shit while the background vids keep playing. Honestly kinda more convienient than youtubes gui. It has sponsorblock built in too, which is nice
zkfcfbzr@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I would like Freetube 100x more if it had a web UI instead of a non-browser interface. A web UI with a companion extension to automatically redirect YT video links to it could be so seamless.
noodlejetski@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
you might like Piped or [Invidious]invidious.io) with Libre direct addon.
lurch@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
youtube is cancer
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
As someone who’s survived ACTUAL cancer, and spent a year of my life dealing with this shit, and dealing with the aftermath of it now, having to get a colonoscopy this friday as part of my checkups, you can fuck right off with your casual usage of that word.
Lets slice open your chest, put a medical port in a surgury where you’re still awake, and still somewhat feel whats happening because thats how they do it with todays medical insurance. Thats what we get in America. Lets have you on chemotherapy for a year so you’re so out of it and so physically weak that you can’t wash your own dishes. You have to ask a friend to pull the suction cup drain so the water in the sink can drain so you’re able to individually lift dish.
Lets have the government tell you that cancer doesn’t qualify you for disability, so you end up with $0 income for 9 months, and expected to pay rent.
Lets have bus drivers roll their eyes at you for being 40 years old, and not able to lift groceries that aren’t that heavy. Made to feel like an elderly person, but people treat you like an asshole for wasting their time.
Lets have you go through that, and tell me again how youtube is cancer.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Damn. That’s brutal.
I’ve used that phrase myself in the past, and never thought of this, despite having done hospice care. Thanks for the perspective. That’s serious, you made me rethink things.
parpol@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
“X is cancer”, “X spreads like cancer”, “X is cancerous” are so incredibly common phrases. Are they generally considered inappropriate?
JadenSmith@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I’m sorry you were treated so poorly during your treatment. I hope you are in a better situation, if not now then in the near future.
lurch@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
i will die from cancer
ElvenMithril@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
yeah I agree! My wife would hear bitchin me if we would watch something on her iphone as i would constantly point out the fucking ads… I use in on my Fedora but sometimes (like once a month) I have a problem with the invidous instances. I wish there would be something similar to use on android, bu fortunately with Firefox& SponsorBlock it seems to block most of them…
DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
I downloaded Newpipe from the Fdroid app store and it works very similar go freetube
powermaker450@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
The best part about FreeTube unlike other Third-Party clients is that it retains a better YouTube-like suggestions system for any videos you wanna watch next. Discoverability is still a very important thing for me
Emmie@lemmings.world 2 weeks ago
No ios not cool
sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
More like using iOS is not cool, at least in the EU they get some more things, but I was trying the other day to show a workmate how to install an ad blocker and it turns out you can’t even install firefox extensions on iOS!
Emmie@lemmings.world 2 weeks ago
Skill issue
MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Because outside of the EU all browsers are just safari cosplaying. Inside EU at least Firefox is still just safari
noodlejetski@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
c10l@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
On iOS I’ve been using
Vinegar - Tube Cleanerby developer And a Dinosaur. It doesn’t replace YouTube as a whole - only the video player. Better interface, no ads.moe90@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
ytliteplus or uyou is great for ios
QuarterSwede@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Using uYou via AltStore and it’s such a better experience. I’d rather stop using YouTube altogether than pay Alphabet to use YouTube without ads. I’m not enabling user hostile behavior to push people into Premium. Screw that.
DMBFFF@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Does it get rid of the ads?
also,
a community I created here on Lemmy.World:
music, but no YouTube no Spotify no Facebook no fru fru
1984@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
No ads at all.
DMBFFF@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
sounds good then. 🙂
Teknikal@eviltoast.org 2 weeks ago
I tried it there but my browser works better is my first impression, I’m using thorium with Ublock, YouTube enhanced and some other addons.
Did honestly just give this a test but I kept getting videos just freezing up for no reason.
PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
YouTube recently rolled out changes that break these third party apps causing a 503 error. Other apps have patched this issue.
Teknikal@eviltoast.org 2 weeks ago
Yeah I’ve removed it already and know all the antics YouTube has been doing as I use Smarttube.on my Firetv.
But yeah not very impressed with Freetube in comparison to even a browser and the more I read about it not being able to view age restricted and other content it’s not for me.
communist@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 2 weeks ago
I just wish it supported tabs, I’d switch immediately if it did
clark@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
They support separate windows if that changes things.
communist@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 2 weeks ago
Not for me
sxan@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
I agree; between it and Tubular, YouTube is usable again.
That said, someone pointed out that higher resolutions are not viewable on FreeTube. I hadn’t noticed this until they mentioned it, and now I notice it constantly. I don’t know why, but it’s demonstratable: find a 4k video on Tubular, and open the same video on FreeTube, and only lower resolution versions are available.
gwen@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
ytfzf better (if you dont mind not reading comments lmao)
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’d argue that Brave is the best way. The adblock is seamless and requires no add-ons, and you retain the full functionality of the site.
scripthook@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve been using it since YouTube stopped allowing adblockers.
ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
No Android version of it yet, eh? Damn.
LinusSexTips@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There is an android version: apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/…/io.freetubeapp.freetube
However I prefer Grayjay: grayjay.app
BillMurray@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I hate linking to Reddit, but follow this guide for re-vanced on Android:
ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Thanks.
I am trying Libretube via F-droid. So far so good.
ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
Try GrayJay, works great in my experience and has all the stuff (background play, no ads, downloads, etc). One issue I had with ReVanced was casting didn’t always work for me, GrayJay seems to be able to cast to my shield without missing a beat.
Nima@leminal.space 2 weeks ago
i constantly gotta swap invidious instances because youtube is being relentless in their war against invidious.
but the ui is awesome and I use it every day.
acosmichippo@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
apparently freetube automatically uses a new invidious instance every time it starts up.
wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 2 weeks ago
It seems to be at random, and many of the instances don’t work. You’re better off finding one that does, and setting it as default.