Anyone who’s been using privacy-respecting frontends for some time will recognise Piped. A YouTube frontend with no ads, integrated SponsorBlock, return dislikes, and a customisable UI.

Piped also allows you to subscribe to as many channels as you want without ever logging into a Google account. You can export your subs list from YouTube and import them to Piped seamlessly.

If you’ve never heard of it, give it a glance at https://piped.video. For more instances, check here.

  • pastelsquirrel@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    can definitely recommend this, but just a head’s up - Google has a habit of hitting the main instance with rate limiting, which causes videos to not load until it gets fixed. but thankfully Piped has multiple instances, so if the main one is down, you can keep watching.

    • zxo
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      1 year ago

      I heard of a service called Farside that automatically reroutes links to a working Piped instance if you replace youtube.com with farside.link/piped.

      Since the big ones are rate limited, this helps me find smaller instances that aren’t rate limited yet.

    • zxo
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      1 year ago

      Yep, Piped uses the NewPipeExtractor to load videos, just like NewPipe. However, Piped runs it server side, and NewPipe runs it client side. YouTube likes to rate limit the big instances too, so all you have to do is use a smaller one like il.ax or piped.adminforge.de.

      • NoTime@lemmy.one
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        1 year ago

        Doesn’t this make NewPipe better in that instance? If it’s client side you aren’t going to be rate limited.

        There is also a fork of NewPipe that integrates SponsorBlock (I don’t know if Piped has that).

        • zxo
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          1 year ago

          Piped has SponsorBlock. However, NewPipe is still just better, even if only for Android. I use it more often than Piped.

          Should really get aroundto sonating, though.

        • XpeeN
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          1 year ago

          That youtube don’t know YOU scrape their website. in fact, they don’t even know you’re watching a video.

          • zxo
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            1 year ago

            However, YouTube rate limits big Piped instances, so it’s better to use NewPipe or a small instance.

              • zxo
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                1 year ago

                A couple days ago I found a service called Farside, apparently you can replace youtube.com with farside.link/piped to redirect to a random smaller Piped instance. It works pretty well for me, although sometimes I just use il.ax because I’m just lazy and don’t want to type that much.

                • XpeeN
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                  1 year ago

                  That’s nice!

                  Although, IDK how it works with piped, but because I’m using SearX for years and instances can log things if they want (and some did), I got used to briefly go over the service’s policy. I need to check if piped instances can log things before using random instances.

  • b9chomps@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    I use it for about a year new. There are a few hiccups now and then, but you can just switch instance. That’s why I recommend using Libredirect with it. If you have trouble with an instance just ping the instances in Libredirect and chose a new one. Backup your preferences from the old instance and import it to the new. Your settings and subscriptions are available again.

  • fades@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Excellent timing! With the rumblings of YT attacking anti-ad users and me using my new iPad Pro for watching stuff on the go, I’ve just started looking into side-loading.

    Looks like I’ll be going with an app that utilizes this fw. Good share!

    • zxo
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      1 year ago

      I’ve heard that Yattee is good for Apple devices.

    • seducingcamel@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      How’s the UI? I remember using it over a year ago and it felt really crusty compared to the Chromecast YouTube app

      • quarterlotus@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Much better than before, I’d imagine. I haven’t used it for that long but I find it really smooth and nice to use, I haven’t had any issues, really.

    • zxo
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      1 year ago

      The two are quite similar services, there are only minor differences. Invidious uses its own API to scrape, while Piped uses the NewPipe extractor serverside. Piped also requires JavaScript to run, while Invidious does not. Overall, it’s just up to your choice. Generally I prefer Invidious, then open a vidro in Piped if it won’t load in Invidious just to see if it will.

  • garrett@infosec.pub
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    1 year ago

    Having a lot of troubles with viewing content in any of the instances. Unfortunate since things are looking a lil’ bleak on YouTube as a whole.

  • Pixel@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    is there any way for me to sign into my youtube account by way of piped so I can get my sub feed and stuff?

    • b9chomps@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      You can export your Youtube subscription into a csv file that can be imported into Piped. If you enable cookies you don’t even need to create an account and can still have a personal feed. That’s the main reason for me to use it above Invidious

    • chris.@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      eh, i don’t think it’s fair to discount a youtube frontend for having a bug, especially not a frontend as new as this one. projects at this early a stage always have issues, & youtube frontends have to deal with the added bonus of google randomly rate-limiting & consistently trying to break them. youtube frontends are always going to have issues & need constant updates by nature, there’s not much any of them can do about it

      • zxo
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        1 year ago

        The main instances are also rate limited too which does not help. A smaller instance like il.ax should do the trick.

    • pastelsquirrel@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      main instance is being rate limited - basically Google likes to go ‘fuck you’ and kill the main instance for a few days. just switch to a smaller instance and you’ll be good

  • kavin@feddit.rocks
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    1 year ago

    Hello there, I’m the author of Piped and would love to answer any questions you may have! 👋

  • Aurailious@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Do any of these frontends have a “watch later” function? What I really need is the “remove watched” button, since its just a playlist.

    • div@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I just create a playlist “watch later” add my videos to it and use it like the watch later feature in YouTube. It does a pretty good job