Youtube Alternative/Mirror ?

Keurig

Looking in the F-droid/Auror store for something to that degree but nothing. Usually for something like this it goes under a different name. For instance there is Infinty for Reddit. Anything for YT that would give a user the 'full' experience and all of the privacy ? Would you be allowed to register an account and comment ? Is it possible to play a video with the audio only still playing while the phone is locked ?

Thanks!

Also, any app for a point and click download ? Something to the effect of an IDM download manager ??

Deviation

Check out NewPipe. I believe it does most of the things you mentioned.

Graphite

Deviation

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/3130-youtube-able-to-receive-information-via-wifi-connection-on-graphineos/11

I stopped using Newpipe as I understand it only acts as a Youtube frontend with limited privacy benefits.
I have since started to use LibreTube (https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.libretube/) which for my usage has all the same functions as NewPipe but which uses Invidious / Piped instances (https://invidious.io/) which should help more with privacy.

Grkrz

Graphite Hi I don't want to correct you because not sure I this is relevant and not sure if I am correct. Piped and invidious are two different API. LibreTube is using piped API not that is the fact at least to my knowlage.

Max-Zorin

Grkrz

Correct. But as far as I can tell, both are much more privacy respecting than using Youtube or Newpipe. You can compare the 2 on the pages provided below.

Piped: https://github.com/TeamPiped/Piped

Invidious: https://invidious.io/

Graphite

Grkrz
I am only on day 2 of using LibreTube (piped). So I am just figuring it out. Thanks @Max-Zorin for the tip.

Seems like the API is different and there is a difference in the list of instances.

What I am looking for right now, is a good addon for Kodi that I can send (share) the piped URL link from the phone, to Kodi and have it play at 1080p. The current addon is pretty lacking. For now, I send the original YouTube URL to Kodi's YouTube addon and it works. Privacy is achieved by having Kodi on a VLAN which only goes through a VPN.

wonder75

If you want YT for the music, InnerTune is a nice client.

abcZ

Max-Zorin Ok, from what I can tell, the main difference between those and NewPipe, is that they proxy the data through various servers instead of connecting to the google servers directly.

ve3jlg

abcZ So correct me if I am wrong but this is no different than using a VPN service. Doesn't this mean the user also has to trust the proxy when using it?

Max-Zorin

ve3jlg Yes, you have to trust the proxy just like you have to trust the VPN provider (e.g not logging your data, not selling your data, not accidentally leaking your logs etc).

The benefit to Piped and Invidious is that they are free and open source. So if there are any shenanigans going on it will likely be reported by those inspecting the code. Does it make it perfect? No, unfortunately nothing is but the open model along with adequate maintenance / bug fixes by the developers can be preferential to something closed source where you don't know 100% what the developer is doing with it or how it's being maintained. With VPN's, many are not open source.