YouTube Vanced was discontinued last year by Google as it violated Google’s intellectual property. So now everyone is looking for Youtube Vanced alternative with Google login support but there aren’t many.
One such app is the Newpipe for YouTube which is gaining popularity among the masses for many reasons. However, questions that everyone keeps asking are “Is NewPipe safe?”, “Is Newpipe legal?”, “Does Newpipe work in Firestick?”, & “How to install it?”.
In this article, I have answered these questions & discussed many reasons why you should or shouldn’t use this app in this NewPipe Review. So let’s first start with features & review of the New Pipe App.
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NewPipe Review
I stumbled on NewPipe while browsing the F-Droid store looking for an app that respects my privacy. I was surprised that this supposed YouTube browsing client is just 10MB in size & wondered whether it’s just a generic browser that opens YouTube.com. However, I was very wrong as despite its low size this app has many features which I will be discussing in the latter part of the NewPipe Review. First let me tell you some sites you can download NewsPipe from.
How To Install NewPipe App?
There are four reliable sites from where you can download the latest NewPipe apk without worrying about viruses or malicious code. You can choose from any of the sites listed below.
- Download NewPipe from F-Droid.
- Download NewPipe from Github.
- Download NewPipe from ApkMirror.
- Download NewPipe from the official site.
I prefer downloading from the official site, but you can also trust the other 3 sources. You can inspect the code on Github & download from there only if you don’t want to take risks.
Once the NewPipe apk file is downloaded open & install the app. You may be prompted to enable third-party app installation if it’s your first time sideloading a third-party app. Simply enable the third-party installation & proceed, now you will find the NewPipe app in your app drawer.
So that is how you install NewPipe on your device safely without any issues.
Can I Download NewPipe From Play Store?
NewPipe violates Play Store terms of service so it will never be available on the Play Store. All the apps available are fake copy that doesn’t work as advertised.
NewPipe Review For YouTube Users: Is It Worth it?
User Interface Or Home Screen
When I opened the app for the first time I found there are 4 pages on the main screen of the app. The first screen is the Trending screen which shows all the videos trending in your location right now.
The second screen is the What’s New screen which will be empty by default. As you subscribe to various YouTube channels all the latest videos will show up here. So unlike official YouTube, you will only see new videos by your favorite content creators you have subscribed to. If there are no new videos then you will only see videos already published.
The third screen is the Subscription screen & here I found all the channels I have subscribed to. It was pretty easy to manage my subscription from here.
On the last screen, you will find the Bookmarked playlist so all the videos I bookmarked showed up here. So that’s the home screen of the NewsPipe app & you can see the image above for reference.
NewPipe Review of Settings & Video Playback Experience
Enough about the main screen, let’s talk about my video playback experience & settings available on the NewPipe.
1. Advanced Playback Settings & Control
On the video screen, there are various advanced features like the ability to change & select video resolution. Next to it is the video playback speed option which allowed me to watch videos at different playback speeds.
Moreover, there are many useful options like the ability to share video links, open the video in the web browser, adjust the volume, or zoom into the video as well.
2. Picture In Picture mode Support, Video Download Support, & Background play
Just below the title. NewPipe has provided add to playlist option which I used to save my favorite videos onto the local playlist. Next to it is the Background playback option which allows me to switch to audio-only mode. Using it, I was able to play music when my device was locked or I was multitasking.
Moreover, next to the Background playback is the Pop up browser which allows you to watch the video in picture-in-picture mode. And, I will have to say that this picture in picture mode is more flexible than the official YouTube app. Newpipe allows you to adjust the size of the PIP screen according to your preference as well.
The last option is the Download option which as the name suggests gave me the ability to download the video in any resolution.
3. Ability To Export App Settings & Subscription Settings
While testing the Newpipe app, I found it has neat little export & import settings feature as well. I exported & saved my settings, once I had subscribed to all of my favorite channels, & changed settings according to my preference. Using it, I was able to import my settings & subscription list to my tablet. Since setting up Newpipe is a very time-consuming process, I am glad this feature is supported by the developer.
4. Support Other Streaming Services As Well
Besides YouTube, the app supports Soundcloud, media.ccc.de, FrameTube, & Bandcamp. I don’t use these services but options are there if you do. I am really impressed as there are not a lot of apps that support so many services at once like NewPipe.
Downsides Of The NewPipe App For YouTube
Not everything is great which I will be talking about in this part of this NewPipe review. So let’s start with the first issue which is limited live video stream support.
1. No Live Video Feed
One thing I didn’t like about the NewPipe was the fact that I couldn’t access the live video feed of my favorite YouTube channels. So if you follow gaming channels that do hours of live stream then this app is not for you. You can watch live streams but you won’t be able to access the stream that has already ended. The only way it will show up in the channel feed is if the channel uploads the video separately.
Similarly, you cannot access the live comment feed on any live video you are watching.
2. Notification Alert
Another downside I found while reviewing the NewPipe app is that it doesn’t support notification alerts. So whenever a new video from my YouTube channel was uploaded I never got any notifications. I had to open the app & refresh the feed to know whether or not a new video has been uploaded.
3. Account log in
Next & probably the biggest downside of the NewPipe is that I couldn’t log in with my Google Account. So if you are someone like me who has more than 100 plus channels subscribed then it will take some time to manually subscribe to channels one by one.
Also, sometimes you can get unsubscribed to channels because of the backend changes that YouTube makes.
4. Can’t Read Comment Replies Or Make One
Without an account login, I also didn’t have the ability to reply to existing comments. I personally find comments to be more entertaining than videos sometimes. NewPipe App also lacks the ability to read any comments replies other than the main comment which is a bummer.
NewPipe Review Conclusion
On a final note, I will say that NewPipe is perfect for privacy-minded YouTube lovers who want to watch YouTube videos without watching ads. Obviously, you will miss out on features like personalized recommendations, the ability to reply to comments, get notifications, & various other YouTube perks.
On the bright side, it would mean that you will only consume content in moderation & watch content relevant to you. Plus, compared to other apps this just takes 30MB of phone storage & offers many advanced features like Picture & Picture mode, Download option, & Background play.
Is NewPipe Safe?
NewPipe is an open-source project so anyone can go to the Github repository to check if there is any funny business going on in the app’s code. Furthermore, Newpipe doesn’t require you to share any kind of personal information whether it’s your name, age, sex, or email account for that.
Similarly, it collects way less personal data than the YouTube app does for marketing & recommending content. I personally don’t think it’s bad because the service is free & YouTube also provides you the ability to purchase a subscription for an ad-free experience.
Is NewPipe Legal?
Downloading YouTube videos is considered illegal in most countries except for Germany & Netherlands. So if you use NewPipe to download & share copyrighted content then it can be considered illegal depending on your local laws. You can read a more detailed discussion on whether or not NewPipe is legal in this GitHub thread.
Is NewPipe Available For PC?
There is no official NewPipe for PC or Windows users but if you are running Windows 11 then can install this app. So if you meet Android app support requirements for Windows 11 then you can install the NewPipe on your PC.
Does Newpipe work in Firestick?
Yes, NewPipe work in Firestick & I was able to watch YouTube ad-free on my tv as well.
Does NewPipe Still Work?
Yes, the NewPipe app still works & is in active development at the time of writing. Just make sure you have downloaded the app from one of the 4 sources I have mentioned.
Is NewPipe Down?
Sometimes NewPipe can stop working due to the changes YouTube makes at the backend. In that case, wait for a few days for the devs to provide you with an update that fixes the issue. Devs usually fix the issue quite quickly but they do work in their free time so don’t expect immediate updates every time.
Some frequently asked questions about NewPipe.
No, there are no Ads on the NewPipe app & it also blocks the ad from YouTube videos as well.
Yes, F-Droid hosts open-source apps that can be vetted by anyone which makes the apps on the store safe.
Yes, NewPipe apk file is safe & doesn't contain any harmful malware at least at the time of my writing this NewPipe review.
Yes, NewPipe is completely free & you don't need to make any kind of payment to get the app.