invidious README

The project's README from github.com/iv-org/invidious. As one markdown file: README.md.

Invidious logo

Invidious

License: AGPLv3 Build Status GitHub commits GitHub issues GitHub pull requests Translation Status

An open source alternative front-end to YouTube

Website  •  Instances list  •  FAQ  •  Documentation  •  Contribute  •  Donate

Chat with us:
Matrix Libera.chat (IRC)
Fediverse: @invidious@social.tchncs.de
E-mail

Screenshots

Player Preferences Subscriptions

Features

User features

Data import/export

Technical features

Quick start

Using Invidious:

Hosting Invidious:

Documentation

The full documentation can be accessed online at https://docs.invidious.io/

The documentation's source code is available in this repository: https://github.com/iv-org/documentation

Extensions

We highly recommend the use of Privacy Redirect, a browser extension that automatically redirects YouTube URLs to any Invidious instance and replaces embedded YouTube videos on other websites with Invidious.

The documentation contains a list of browser extensions that we recommended to use along with Invidious.

You can read more here: https://docs.invidious.io/applications/

Contribute

Code

  1. Fork it ( https://github.com/iv-org/invidious/fork ).
  2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b my-new-feature).
  3. Stage your files (git add .).
  4. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some feature').
  5. Push to the branch (git push origin my-new-feature).
  6. Create a new pull request ( https://github.com/iv-org/invidious/compare ).

Translations

We use Weblate to manage Invidious translations.

You can suggest new translations and/or correction here: https://hosted.weblate.org/engage/invidious/.

Creating an account is not required, but recommended, especially if you want to contribute regularly. Weblate also allows you to log-in with major SSO providers like GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket, Google, ...

Projects using Invidious

A list of projects and extensions for or utilizing Invidious can be found in the documentation: https://docs.invidious.io/applications/

Liability

We take no responsibility for the use of our tool, or external instances provided by third parties. We strongly recommend you abide by the valid official regulations in your country. Furthermore, we refuse liability for any inappropriate use of Invidious, such as illegal downloading. This tool is provided to you in the spirit of free, open software.

You may view the LICENSE in which this software is provided to you here.

  1. Limitation of Liability.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MODIFIES AND/OR CONVEYS THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

invidious (iv-org/invidious)

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25.5K ·GitHub
Invidious
What is this?Invidious is an open source alternative front-end to YouTube: you browse and watch YouTube videos through its web interface instead of youtube.com.
Is this a website I just visit, or software I have to install?It is a web application, not a plugin: the same codebase runs as public instances anyone can visit, or as your own self-hosted copy on a server.
How do I get it running?For watching, just pick a public instance from the list and start watching right away. To self-host, follow the installation instructions in the documentation - the repository ships a docker-compose setup.
Do I need a Google account or any kind of sign-up?No - subscriptions work independently from Google, and you get notifications for every subscribed channel without an account.
Are there any catches I should know about?It does not use official YouTube APIs, and the team takes no responsibility for how you use it or for third-party instances - they warn users to follow local regulations and avoid illegal downloading.
Does it work on my phone, or only on a desktop?It is a website, so any browser works; on mobile you also get an audio-only mode with background play.
Will it track me the way YouTube does?Avoiding that is the core idea: the player is lightweight with no ads and no tracking, and Invidious does not require JavaScript.
What do I get in the player besides just videos?Light and dark themes, a customizable homepage, Reddit comments under videos, and an interface translated into many languages by volunteers.
Can I bring my data over from YouTube or other clients?Yes - import subscriptions from YouTube, NewPipe and FreeTube, import watch history from YouTube and NewPipe, and export subscriptions back out to NewPipe and FreeTube; Invidious user data can be exported and reimported too.
Is there a way to make YouTube links open in Invidious automatically?Yes - the team recommends the Privacy Redirect browser extension, which redirects YouTube URLs to any Invidious instance and replaces embedded YouTube videos on other sites with Invidious.
Can other projects build on top of it?Yes - Invidious offers a Developer API and embedded video support, and the documentation keeps a list of projects and extensions built around it.
What are similar projects?Piped, NewPipe, cobalt, dawarich, nitter, omni-tools, FreeTube, glance
Which topics is it in?newpipe, watch, no-ads, alternative, self-hosting, privacy-tools, youtube, agplv3, agpl, streaming, video, docker-compose
Creator
iv-org
Size
25.7 MB
Stars
25.5K
Updated
CommitOct 13Releasev2.20260804.1Aug 05
Age
8y
Commits · 90 Days