Watch YouTube in a dedicated desktop window with local ad and tracker filtering, fullscreen controls, and background playback. Keep the familiar YouTube player, subscriptions, Shorts, and live streams, with fewer interruptions from intrusive ads.
| Build | Latest version | Release |
|---|---|---|
| Tauri | v1.1.1 | Tauri downloads |
| Electron | v1.1.0 | Electron downloads |
v1.1.1 updates Tauri. Electron keeps its existing v1.1.0 installers and behavior. See the changelog for the changes in each release.
| Your system | Tauri v1.1.1 package | Installer inside |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11, Intel or AMD x64 | TubeNow-Tauri-1.1.1-windows-x64.zip |
Setup EXE and MSI; choose one |
| macOS, Intel or Apple Silicon | TubeNow-Tauri-1.1.1-macos-universal.zip |
DMG with both processor architectures |
| Linux, Intel or AMD x86_64 | TubeNow-Tauri-1.1.1-linux-x64.zip |
AppImage, DEB and RPM; choose one |
Download the matching ZIP and checksums.txt from the same release, verify the
ZIP, and extract it before installing. Use the Windows setup EXE for a normal
installation or the MSI for installer management. On Linux, choose DEB for
Debian/Ubuntu, RPM for an appropriate RPM-based distribution, or AppImage when
you prefer a standalone package.
The macOS app is universal across Intel and Apple Silicon. Windows and Linux packages target x64; this release does not include native Windows ARM64 or Linux ARM64 installers. No single installer runs across different operating systems.
Choose Tauri for a smaller download and a desktop shell that uses your system's webview. Keep Microsoft Edge WebView2 current on Windows. macOS uses the system WebKit runtime; Linux uses WebKitGTK and related system libraries.
Choose Electron for its bundled Chromium browser engine, particularly when your system webview is outdated or restricted. Its download and baseline memory footprint are larger. Video resolution, GPU decoding and the rest of your desktop session affect memory use in either build.
| Preference or environment | Start with |
|---|---|
| Smaller installer and a current system webview | Tauri v1.1.1 |
| Consistent bundled browser engine | Electron v1.1.0 |
| Restricted system webview updates | Electron v1.1.0 |
| Limited RAM | Try Tauri at 1080p; compare on your own device |
These are selection guidelines, not measured minimum specifications. See the platform guide for dependencies and platform differences.
- Watch videos, live streams and Shorts through the official YouTube website.
- Start with a 1080p playback target for quicker viewing. Select a higher quality in YouTube when the video, network and device support it.
- Check local Shields and control protection from the app.
- Enter fullscreen with the player button, video double-click,
ForF11; pressEscto exit. - Use tray controls to show or hide the window, mute audio or allow background playback. Supported Windows builds also offer taskbar playback controls.
- Keep sign-in in the local application profile. YouTube controls session expiry and may request another sign-in.
- Open unrelated links in your default browser and request optional downloads for content you have permission to save.
Tauri v1.1.1 includes a session repair action in Shields for playback trouble. Read its confirmation before proceeding: repair clears selected YouTube session data, opens the home page, and may require another sign-in or preference changes.
The first download request checks for yt-dlp. If it is missing, TubeNow asks
before installing it. Declining the prompt leaves the active video's download
unavailable until you install yt-dlp or accept a later setup prompt. A manual
installation works when TubeNow can find it.
This prompt appears in the app when you request a download. The desktop
installer does not require yt-dlp for viewing. Some formats also need FFmpeg.
TubeNow places downloaded media in a TubeNow folder inside Downloads.
The artwork illustrates the product. Layout and protection counts vary by build, platform and session. 1080p is a default target, not a guarantee for every video.
TubeNow keeps its profile and downloaded media on your computer. It does not operate a TubeNow account database or TubeNow analytics service. YouTube and external services still receive the requests needed for playback, protection updates and optional downloads.
YouTube can change its player and advertisement delivery at any time. Filtering coverage varies by video, account and platform. A successful installation does not establish that every YouTube experiment will behave the same.
The current packages do not include publisher signing or macOS notarization. Your operating system may display a warning. Use the official release page and verify the package checksum. See security guidance.
Report a problem through GitHub Issues. Include the shell, version, operating system and steps to reproduce it. Remove account information, cookies and private paths from attachments.
This repository contains public documentation and artwork; GitHub Releases contains the installers. The implementation and engineering records remain private. See the repository policy and contribution guide.
TubeNow is independent software and has no affiliation with YouTube or Google. Use playback and downloads according to applicable terms, permissions and law. Dependencies keep their own licenses; the repository's license applies to material made available here.
Maintained by @benedictusrey.