Open source tip: FreeTube, the ad-free YouTube experience
Desktop application FreeTube allows you to enjoy YouTube ad-free on Linux, Windows and macOS. The app doesn’t require an account, doesn’t use cookies, prevents Google tracking and has options for anonymisation.
If you aren’t a YouTube Premium member but still want to enjoy videos ad-free, you have various options. One of the best for desktop PCs and notebooks with Linux, macOS or Windows is open-source app FreeTube. In contrast to other well-known apps for ad-free viewing – think SmartTube for Android TV boxes – FreeTube protects your privacy. What’s more, with the right configuration, it can even be used anonymously if required.
However, there are also downsides. If you like comments, likes or livestreams, FreeTube will limit you. More on that later.
Source: Martin Jud
If you’re wondering whether the whole thing is legal, you’ll find your answer below in the respective section.
What FreeTube offers
Breaking things down, the software offers you the following features:
- Ad-free: an integrated ad blocker suppresses ads before, during and after YouTube videos.
- Sponsored video sections can be skipped: as soon as SponsorBlock is activated in the settings, the app automatically skips sponsored video sections.
- Privacy protected: since no sign-in is required, there’s also no connection to Google accounts. In addition, there are no tracking cookies and only minimal data transfer to YouTube/Google in the case of preconfigured use. This usually concerns your IP address when playing and downloading videos. All content searches are anonymous.
- Anonymity: if you wish, you can also stream anonymously. External proxies and Tor can be configured to do this in the options. However, this can lead to a reduced data rate or video quality.
- Local subscriptions, playlists and feed: subscribed channels and playlists are saved locally. There’s no cloud storage, but you can import and export them. You can find out how to import from your YouTube account or other sources here. Your feed is based on your subscriptions, without an algorithm filtering or prioritising the content.
Source: Martin Jud
The interface is multilingual, offers extensive shortcuts, dark mode and customisation. The video player offers countless features. You can even switch to an external player (such as VLC) in the options. Your search history is also saved locally. Other features, such as RSS feed integration, round off the package.
What FreeTube can’t do
Since the app lends more weight to data protection than the unrestricted functionality of YouTube, some things are missing. This includes livestreams. You can’t watch them in real time, only once they’ve been saved as video-on-demand.
There’s no interaction options either – you can’t take part in any chats since this requires tracking cookies. You’re also unable to view, let alone post, comments due to a missing server connection. You can see the number of likes a video has, but you can’t add any yourself.
How FreeTube works
FreeTube combines privacy-focused technologies and alternative backend infrastructures to access YouTube content. There’s no Google API connection when searching. Instead of communicating directly with the YouTube servers, your computer communicates with alternative open-source front-ends (e.g. Invidious). If you search for a video, they act as an intermediary (proxy request) and retrieve the metadata from YouTube without passing on your IP or device data. Before data obtained from the request is returned to your PC in encrypted form, scripts for tracking and advertising are removed.
Source: Martin Jud
FreeTube prevents advertising from being shown during playback. To do so, certain domains and scripts are blocked on the client side. If you also want to skip sponsored video sections in addition to ads, it’ll happen thanks to the integration of SponsorBlock API (more open-source software). Optional external proxies or Tor ensure anonymity when playing and downloading. Bear in mind that using Tor and the like can greatly reduce data processing performance, meaning that videos load more slowly and often don’t work in high resolutions. Of course, you can also use a VPN to disguise the IP instead.
The application saves subscriptions, playlists and settings locally in an encrypted database. There’s no cloud synchronisation, meaning your data doesn’t leave the device apart from during manual exports.
Is FreeTube illegal?
The app isn’t illegal under criminal law, but it’s unclear whether there could be consequences under civil law.
The fact that criminal law doesn’t apply depends on the technology used. If, for example, a DRM bypass were implemented, both the development of the software as well as its use would be punishable under criminal law in most countries. However, there’s no such infringement based on the software’s source code.
However, it does clearly violate YouTube’s terms of use (ToS). YouTube explicitly prohibits tech that circumvents advertising or disrupts platform operations. It also prohibits the unauthorised use of its API, which doesn’t happen with normal use of FreeTube, granted.
Can something bad happen if I use the app?
A ToS violation could theoretically result in an account suspension by YouTube/Google. However, since you don’t connect an account with FreeTube, this is hard to imagine happening. And even with other similar apps that don’t respect privacy – such as SmartTube for TV boxes mentioned at the beginning – there have been no known cases of accounts being blocked despite a large user base.
Temporarily blocked IP addresses, on the other hand, do pop up in isolated cases. These can occur if a conspicuous amount of traffic outside of normal use is detected. To continue streaming anyway, a proxy, Tor or VPN can help. In the past, there have already been Invidious instances that temporarily stopped working. Switching to an alternative instance in the options usually helped.
The bottom line is that nothing should happen if you use FreeTube. If you want to work as a developer, however, I’d exercise caution. Ultimately, using the app is a matter that you have to balance with any ethical concerns.
Download and installation
FreeTube offers versions for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu/Debian, Fedora/RedHat and one for other Linux distributions on its download page.
If you’re using Windows, you can download a portable or installable version. In the case of the installable version, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen may try to prevent you from installing it on your hard disk with a message referencing an unrecognised application. In this case, click on Run anyway in the notification window.
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Header image: Screenshot / Martin Jud
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Martin Jud
Senior Editor
martin.jud@digitecgalaxus.chI find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.
