Piped YouTube: Browse YouTube Ad-Free While Protecting Your Privacy - Free Self-hosted App
Hey! Ever wished you could watch YouTube videos without feeling like you're being watched back?
That's exactly what Piped is all about!
Think of Piped as your privacy-conscious friend who helps you enjoy YouTube content without all the stuff you might not want - like ads popping up everywhere or companies tracking what you watch. It's like having a super-clean, streamlined version of YouTube that puts you in control.
The really cool part? Piped is open-source, which means it's made by people who believe in internet privacy, and anyone can check out how it works under the hood. When you use Piped, your video-watching habits stay between you and your screen - no tracking, no data collection, no digital footprints leading back to Google's servers.
It's basically YouTube's content with peace of mind baked in. Pretty neat, right?
Let me explain these technical benefits of Piped in a more friendly and understandable way:
But wait, there's more to love about Piped! Let me share some of the behind-the-scenes magic that makes it extra special:
First off, imagine Piped as having helpers all around the world (that's what we mean by multi-region load balancing). If one server gets too busy or slow, Piped can quickly switch to another one nearby, kind of like choosing a less crowded checkout line at the grocery store. This means your videos load faster and more reliably, no matter where you are!
Under the hood, Piped uses something clever called NewPipeExtractor - think of it as a really efficient assistant that grabs all the important video information (like titles, descriptions, and video quality options) without having to ask YouTube directly.
It's like having someone who knows all the shortcuts to get what you need without going through the main entrance.
This smart setup means two awesome things for you:
- Your videos load super smoothly
- You get to enjoy YouTube content while staying completely independent from Google's systems
It's perfect if you care about your privacy or just want to make YouTube work exactly the way you like it. After all, who doesn't love having more control over their streaming experience? 😊
Features
- No Ads, No Tracking: Provides ad-free, privacy-focused streaming.
- Lightweight Design: Optimized for minimal server and client resources.
- Infinite Scrolling: Browse content without interruptions.
- 4K Support & Audio-Only Mode: Stream in 4K or play just audio.
- Login, Feeds, Playlists: Supports accounts with feeds and playlist management.
- PWA and Multi-Language Support: Installable as a Progressive Web App, available in many languages.
- Integrated Services: Works with SponsorBlock, LBRY, and Return YouTube Dislike.
- Federated Network: Bypasses geo-restrictions using Matrix protocol.
- Self-Hosting Option: Host your own instance for full control.
- Local Preferences: Saves settings locally on your device.
- Embedded Video and No Age Restriction: Supports embedded videos with no content limitations.
- No Google Connections: Avoids Google’s servers for better privacy.
- Multi-Region Load Balancing: Handles thousands of users efficiently.
- NewPipeExtractor: Extracts metadata without official YouTube APIs.
- Public JSON API: Offers accessible API for developers.
Built using Piped
Mobile/desktop apps
- LibreTube - Alternative frontend for YouTube for Android.
- YTDLnis - Video and audio downloader for Android that uses Piped to update formats.
- Yattee - Alternative frontend for YouTube for MacOS / iOS.
- Pipeline - Alternative frontend for YouTube for Linux.
- PlasmaTube - Alternative frontend for YouTube for Linux.
- PsTube - Watch and download videos without ads on Android, Linux, Windows, iOS, and Mac OSX.
- Harmony Music - YouTube Music alternative for Android/Windows/Debian, built with Flutter that supports piped linking for playlists.
- VibeYou - Privacy focused music player for Android supporting playback via Piped.
Web apps
- Piped-Material - Fork of Piped, focusing on better performance and a more usable design.
- Hyperpipe - Alternative privacy respecting front-end for YouTube Music.
- ytify - Complementary audio streaming frontend for YouTube & YouTube Music.
- Musicale - Alternative frontend for YouTube Music with style.
- conduit - Alternative frontend for YouTube, with a modern player and watch together capabilities.
- DeskVideo - Desktop styled, customizable alternative frontend for YouTube.
- ReacTube - Privacy friendly & distraction free YouTube frontend.
Other
- vidyodl - Simple API to download videos from YouTube, using Piped.
- Piped Addon for Kodi - Kodi plugin for Piped.
License
AGPL-2.0 License