NewPipe
Open-source Android client for YouTube with background play and downloads, needing no Google account.
Recommended as an ad-free YouTube client for Android1234 that offers background playback, downloads, and subscriptions and playlists without a Google account.5678 The most common complaint is bugs and breakage when YouTube changes its API91011, and some worry Google's sideloading restrictions will block it.1213
Why people recommend it
Ad-free YouTube · 3
Commenters use it to watch YouTube without ads.
“For mobile, I use NewPipe which allows background YouTube as well.”
“Using NewPipe and sponsor block on PipePipe increases privacy and makes YouTube ad free.”
Show 1 more
“I use New Pipe for that.”
Better than official · 3
Some call it better than YouTube's own app, even apart from ad blocking.
“it was a better app than Youtube's official app”
“NewPipe is one of them, the best app for Yt video watching.”
Show 1 more
“Second recommendation for newpipe. Fantastic app.”
No account needed · 2
Subscriptions and playlists work without a YouTube account.
“I use NewPipe so I can subscribe to channels and put channels/videos into playlists, without needing to make a youtube account.”
“Second recommendation for newpipe. Fantastic app.”
Background and downloads · 2
It allows background playback and downloading videos or audio.
“For mobile, I use NewPipe which allows background YouTube as well.”
“Install newpipe on your phone and an audio player (phocid).”
Daily driver · 2
Several users rely on it regularly as an essential app.
“I use NewPipe pretty much daily for watching YouTube.”
“There are some apps I can't do without like ReThink DNS, NewPipe and other open source apps which I use regularly.”
Privacy · 1
Recommended as a way to watch YouTube with more privacy.
“Using NewPipe and sponsor block on PipePipe increases privacy and makes YouTube ad free.”
Caveats and dissent
Bugs · 2
Some users found it buggy enough to switch to other apps or YouTube Premium.
“NewPipe was so buggy for me in the past, I've avoided it.”
“I used to use this & just ended up paying for premium for my family to get over the headache of bugs”
API breakage · 1
YouTube changes can break it until an update ships, and F-Droid builds can lag behind GitHub releases.
“I use NewPipe pretty much daily for watching YouTube.”
Sideloading future · 3
Commenters worry Google's sideloading restrictions could block it on Android.
“NewPipe is one of them, the best app for Yt video watching.”
“There are some apps I can't do without like ReThink DNS, NewPipe and other open source apps which I use regularly.”
Show 1 more
“installed NewPipe, and then toggled back off the system-level sideloading setting. NewPipe still works”
No SponsorBlock · 2
It lacks SponsorBlock, so some use the PipePipe fork instead.
“I have been using NewPipe for a while”
“Using NewPipe and sponsor block on PipePipe increases privacy and makes YouTube ad free.”
Often compared with
1 moved from NewPipe to PipePipeBlokada2 comments mention both
1 moved from Blokada to NewPipe
1 moved from NewPipe to YouTube Premium
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- PipePipe: NewPipe hard fork implementing SponsorBlock 4 mentions
- Fingerprints are the new cookies 1 mention
- Sorry, I'm in a meeting 1 mention
- F-Droid 2.0 1 mention
- PureTube: No ads on YouTube 1 mention
- Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin 1 mention
Data: newpipe.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 19
“Using NewPipe and sponsor block on PipePipe increases privacy and makes YouTube ad free.”
“For mobile, I use NewPipe which allows background YouTube as well.”
“it was a better app than Youtube's official app”
“I have been using NewPipe for a while”
“NewPipe was so buggy for me in the past, I've avoided it.”
“I use NewPipe so I can subscribe to channels and put channels/videos into playlists, without needing to make a youtube account.”
“I use NewPipe pretty much daily for watching YouTube.”
“NewPipe is one of them, the best app for Yt video watching.”
“Second recommendation for newpipe. Fantastic app.”
“NewPipe (the nonaddictive YouTube)”
“There are some apps I can't do without like ReThink DNS, NewPipe and other open source apps which I use regularly.”
“youtube via newpipe”
“You can also look at NewPipe on Android if you want an alternative YouTube app”
“Newpipe - Youtube Client”
“I used to use this & just ended up paying for premium for my family to get over the headache of bugs”
“I use New Pipe for that.”
“Install newpipe on your phone and an audio player (phocid).”
“Mobile: Blockada to prevent apps from reaching their ad servers. NewPipe.”
“installed NewPipe, and then toggled back off the system-level sideloading setting. NewPipe still works”