The download comparison covers FreeTube and OpenTubeX. Downloads need yt-dlp, so they are not available in OpenTubeX Lite or the web demo.
Set up downloads
- Open Settings → Downloads and turn on Enable Downloads if needed.
- Choose a Download Folder you can write to and that has enough free space. On desktop, leaving it blank saves to your system’s Downloads folder. The Flatpak and the mobile apps need a folder before they can download.
- On desktop, allow time for any required managed tools to download. OpenTubeX uses yt-dlp and FFmpeg for download tasks; tool options depend on your platform.
Select the folder icon in Download Folder to choose where files are saved.
The mobile apps use their own storage pickers and download implementations. Grant access to your chosen folder when prompted; desktop executable paths and the choice of system-installed tools do not apply there.
Download a video or audio
- Select Download below the video, or Download Video in a video’s menu.
- In the download dialog, choose the offered format and quality, or an audio-only option when you want sound without video.
- Confirm the download.
- Open Downloads from the top bar or profile menu to see progress and queued items.
Downloads need a working connection until they finish. Higher-quality video usually uses more storage. Subtitles can be downloaded when offered for the selected video.
Reuse settings with templates
To reuse a set of download options, select Save Template next to Template in the download dialog and give it a name. Pick it from Template next time. To create or edit templates outside the dialog, open Settings → Downloads → Manage Download Templates.
Download new uploads automatically
On desktop and Android, Settings → Downloads → Manage Automatic Downloads picks a download template and filters for each subscribed channel. Matching videos download in the background when subscription feeds refresh. Enabling a channel starts with its next upload. OpenTubeX does not download older videos. You can limit automatic downloads to unmetered networks or to while the device is charging.
Download from another site
- Open Downloads and select Add download. If downloads are unavailable, check Settings → Downloads → Enable Downloads.
- Paste the full media page URL into Video or playlist URL and select Next.
- Choose the video or audio download options, confirm, and follow progress in Downloads.
Paste the media page URL in Downloads → Add download, then select Next.
You can also open the link in the player first and select Download below it.
Available formats depend on the site and yt-dlp. A supported playback link does not guarantee every download format will work. On iOS, compatible external-site downloads offer Play download inside OpenTubeX. On desktop and Android, open the saved file with a compatible media player. On desktop, use Show in Folder to find it.
Play a completed download
- Open Downloads and find a completed item.
- Choose Play download to watch the saved media. For downloads from other sites, this is only available on iOS; on desktop and Android, open the file in a compatible media player.
- On desktop, use Show in Folder to locate the file in your file manager.
Keep the file in its saved location if you want OpenTubeX to find it again. Clearing an entry from the list and removing its file are different actions. Remove File moves the file to the trash on desktop and deletes it permanently on Android and iOS.
Manage the queue
Downloads lists queued, running, and finished items. Use Pause all and Resume all for the whole queue, Retry all failed downloads after fixing a problem, and Move earlier or Move later on a queued item to change its order.
Download a playlist
Open a playlist’s menu and choose Download Playlist when available. Review the download options before starting: a large playlist can use significant space. The Downloads panel shows the queued work.
Manage a failed download
- Open Downloads and read the item’s error.
- Check your connection, free space, and access to the download folder.
- If the error mentions yt-dlp or FFmpeg, check for tool updates under Settings → Advanced → External Software on desktop, or update yt-dlp there on Android.
- Use Retry download after fixing the cause.
If the video itself will not play, start with playback troubleshooting. Include the download error and platform when reporting a bug.