Why doesn't videofetch show YouTube videos?

Chrome Web Store policy does not allow extensions to download YouTube content. videofetch blocks youtube.com, youtu.be, youtube-nocookie.com, and the servers YouTube streams from, so it detects nothing on YouTube and skips YouTube players embedded on other sites. This is on purpose and is not a bug.

Why does videofetch say No video found yet?

videofetch sees videos as the page loads them, and many players do not load anything until you press play. Start the video, let it play for a second or two, then click Rescan page. If you dock videofetch in the side panel, the video appears on its own as soon as it starts.

Why did I get an .m3u8 playlist file instead of a video?

The stream was live or encrypted. A live stream has no ending yet, and an encrypted stream cannot be put back together outside the site's player, so videofetch can only save the playlist. The card tells you this before you download, and the button reads Save playlist instead of Download.

Can videofetch download movies and shows from streaming services?

No. Streaming services protect movies and TV shows with DRM copy protection, so those videos only play inside the site's own player. videofetch cannot save them.

Does videofetch lower the video quality?

No. When videofetch joins separate video and audio files, or the pieces of a stream, it copies the streams into an MP4 without re-encoding them. The file has the same quality the site served. Pick the highest option in the quality menu to get the best version available.

Why does the video I downloaded have no sound?

Some sites send the picture and the sound as separate files. videofetch joins them when it can match the two, and marks those cards with audio. If it only found the picture, the card is marked no audio and warns that the file will be silent. Let the video play for a few seconds and click Rescan page, which gives videofetch a chance to see the audio file as well.

Where does videofetch save my videos?

In your browser's Downloads folder, like any other download. Turn on Ask where to save in settings to choose a folder each time. From the download history, Show in folder opens the folder that holds a file.

How do I change the videofetch keyboard shortcut?

The default is Ctrl+Shift+U (Cmd+Shift+U on a Mac). To change it, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts in Chrome or edge://extensions/shortcuts in Edge and set a new shortcut for Open videofetch.

How do I turn off or clear the download history?

Open settings in videofetch. Turn off Keep download history to stop recording new downloads, or click Manage to search, remove single entries, or clear all. You can undo a removal right after. Downloads from incognito windows are never recorded.

Does videofetch upload my videos or track what I watch?

No. videofetch has no server of its own and no analytics. It only connects to the site that hosts the video you are downloading. Joining files happens inside your browser, and your settings and history stay on your device.

Yes. It is free, has no ads, and does not ask you to sign up or log in.

videofetch - Free Video Downloader Extension

Save the video you are watching in one click. videofetch finds the videos on the page you have open, puts the one that is playing first, and saves it to your computer as a file you can keep. Everything happens in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

Add to Chrome(opens the Chrome Web Store)

Edge versions coming soon.

to save the video that is playing: 1 clickto save the video that is playing
for split and streamed video, with no re-encoding: MP4for split and streamed video, with no re-encoding
past downloads kept in the optional history: 200past downloads kept in the optional history
bytes of your data sent to our servers: 0bytes of your data sent to our servers

Features

What the videofetch video downloader does

It looks for video in three places at once: the files the page downloads, the video players on the page, and the player data some sites include. Then it shows you one clear list, with the video you are watching first.

Finds the video you are watching

It lists the videos and audio on the current page, including players embedded from other sites, and puts the one that is playing at the top with its title, length, quality, and size.

Choose the video quality

When a video comes in more than one resolution, the versions are grouped into one card with a quality picker, so you pick 1080p or 480p instead of guessing between files.

Video and audio joined into one MP4

Some sites keep the picture and the sound in separate files. videofetch downloads both and joins them into one MP4 in your browser, so you do not end up with a silent video.

HLS (.m3u8) stream downloads

Streams split into many small pieces are downloaded and put back together as a single MP4, including streams that carry their audio in a separate playlist.

Progress, rename, and copy link

See progress, speed, and size while it downloads, and cancel at any time. Rename a video before you save it, copy its direct link, or use Download all to save every video file on the page.

Right-click and toolbar count

Right-click a video and choose Download with videofetch to save it without opening the popup. The toolbar icon shows how many videos it found on the page.

Docks in the side panel

Dock videofetch in the Chrome side panel and it stays open while you browse. It follows the tab in front of you and shows a video as soon as it starts playing.

Download history

Keeps a list of what you saved, from which page, and when, with search and Show in folder. Remove one entry or clear all with undo, or turn history off.

How to download a video with videofetch

1
Play the video
Open the page with the video and let it play for a second or two. videofetch picks up videos as the page loads them, so a video that has not started yet may not be listed.
2
Open videofetch
Click the videofetch icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl+Shift+U (Cmd+Shift+U on a Mac). In Chrome, pin it from the puzzle-piece menu so it is always one click away.
3
Pick a quality
The video that is playing is at the top of the list. If there is more than one resolution, choose the one you want from the quality menu.
4
Click Download
The file is saved to your Downloads folder. Turn on Ask where to save in settings if you want to choose a folder each time.

How to keep the video downloader open in the side panel

1
Click the dock button
In the popup, click the button next to the settings icon. videofetch moves into the side panel.
2
Browse as usual
The panel stays open and follows the tab in front of you. A new video shows up on its own as soon as it starts playing.
3
Undock when you are done
Click the same button in the side panel to go back to the popup. The toolbar icon then opens the popup again.

How videofetch saves each kind of video

Websites deliver video in different ways, and a plain "save video as" only works for the first one. videofetch handles each case for you. Joining files is a stream copy, not a conversion, so the quality stays exactly as the site served it.

What the site sends	What you get
A normal video or audio file	Handed to the browser's download manager and saved as it is (for example MP4 or WebM).
A file the site only serves to its own pages	Requested with the address of the page it came from, which the site expects, then saved.
Video and sound in separate files	Both files are downloaded and joined into one MP4 with audio, inside your browser.
HLS stream (.m3u8)	All the pieces are downloaded and put back together into one MP4, including a separate audio track.
Live or encrypted HLS stream	Only the playlist file is saved. A live stream has no ending yet, and an encrypted one cannot be put back together.

Videos videofetch cannot download

Knowing these up front saves you from wondering why a video is missing from the list.

Please only download videos you have the right to save, and respect the terms of the sites you visit and the people who made the videos.

YouTubeChrome Web Store policy does not allow extensions to download from YouTube, so videofetch does not work on YouTube, YouTube Shorts, or YouTube videos embedded on other websites. They never appear in the list.
DRM-protected videoStreaming services protect movies and TV shows with DRM copy protection. Those videos only play inside the site's own player and cannot be saved.
Live and encrypted streamsvideofetch saves the playlist file instead of a finished video, and says so on the card before you download.
Firefoxvideofetch relies on Chrome features that Firefox does not have (offscreen documents and session network rules), so there is no Firefox version.

videofetch settings

Open settings with the gear icon in the popup or side panel. Settings follow you to your other computers if Chrome Sync is on.

Setting	Default	What it does
Ask where to save	Off	Asks you to choose a folder and file name for each download. When off, files go straight to your Downloads folder.
Right-click to download	On	Shows Download with videofetch in the right-click menu on pages where it found a video.
Keep download history	On	Records each download on this device. Downloads from incognito windows are never recorded.
Light or dark theme	Your system	Follows your system setting until you pick one with the theme switch.

Privacy

Video downloader permissions and why they are needed

A video downloader that works on any site needs more access than most extensions. Here is exactly what each permission is used for. None of them is used to collect data.

Read the full privacy policy

Access to all sites
Reads the video and audio on the page you are viewing, in every frame, and downloads files from the site that hosts them. On YouTube it detects nothing.
webRequest
Looks at the response headers of the page's media requests to spot video files whose address has no file extension. It never blocks or changes a request, and never reads the content.
declarativeNetRequest
Adds the page's address to videofetch's own download requests when a video host requires it. Each rule covers one file and is removed when the request ends. Your tabs' requests are never changed.
downloads
Saves the file through the browser's download manager, shows progress, cancels on request, and powers Show in folder in the history.
offscreen
Runs the built-in copy of ffmpeg that joins video and audio files or stream pieces into one MP4. It never shows anything on screen.
storage
Keeps your settings, the optional download history, and the list of videos found in each open tab. Nothing is sent anywhere.
webNavigation
Lists the frames in the current tab so videos in embedded players are found, and notices when the tab opens a new page.
activeTab
Reads the address and title of the current tab when you open videofetch, so it can show which site it is scanning.
contextMenus
Adds the single Download with videofetch item to the right-click menu.
sidePanel
Lets you dock videofetch in the browser side panel.

Your videos and browsing stay on your device.videofetch has no account, no analytics, and no server of its own. The only requests it makes go to the site that hosts the video you are downloading. Your settings and download history are kept in your browser. All code, including the WebAssembly copy of ffmpeg, ships inside the extension. No code is loaded from the internet.

Browsers that support videofetch

videofetch is built for Chrome and works the same way in Microsoft Edge, which runs Chrome extensions.

Browser	Version
Google Chrome	123 or later
Microsoft Edge	123 or later
Mozilla Firefox	Not supported

videofetch video downloader FAQ

Why doesn't videofetch show YouTube videos?: Chrome Web Store policy does not allow extensions to download YouTube content. videofetch blocks youtube.com, youtu.be, youtube-nocookie.com, and the servers YouTube streams from, so it detects nothing on YouTube and skips YouTube players embedded on other sites. This is on purpose and is not a bug.
Why does videofetch say No video found yet?: videofetch sees videos as the page loads them, and many players do not load anything until you press play. Start the video, let it play for a second or two, then click Rescan page. If you dock videofetch in the side panel, the video appears on its own as soon as it starts.
Why did I get an .m3u8 playlist file instead of a video?: The stream was live or encrypted. A live stream has no ending yet, and an encrypted stream cannot be put back together outside the site's player, so videofetch can only save the playlist. The card tells you this before you download, and the button reads Save playlist instead of Download.
Can videofetch download movies and shows from streaming services?: No. Streaming services protect movies and TV shows with DRM copy protection, so those videos only play inside the site's own player. videofetch cannot save them.
Does videofetch lower the video quality?: No. When videofetch joins separate video and audio files, or the pieces of a stream, it copies the streams into an MP4 without re-encoding them. The file has the same quality the site served. Pick the highest option in the quality menu to get the best version available.
Why does the video I downloaded have no sound?: Some sites send the picture and the sound as separate files. videofetch joins them when it can match the two, and marks those cards with audio. If it only found the picture, the card is marked no audio and warns that the file will be silent. Let the video play for a few seconds and click Rescan page, which gives videofetch a chance to see the audio file as well.
Where does videofetch save my videos?: In your browser's Downloads folder, like any other download. Turn on Ask where to save in settings to choose a folder each time. From the download history, Show in folder opens the folder that holds a file.
How do I change the videofetch keyboard shortcut?: The default is Ctrl+Shift+U (Cmd+Shift+U on a Mac). To change it, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts in Chrome or edge://extensions/shortcuts in Edge and set a new shortcut for Open videofetch.
How do I turn off or clear the download history?: Open settings in videofetch. Turn off Keep download history to stop recording new downloads, or click Manage to search, remove single entries, or clear all. You can undo a removal right after. Downloads from incognito windows are never recorded.
Does videofetch upload my videos or track what I watch?: No. videofetch has no server of its own and no analytics. It only connects to the site that hosts the video you are downloading. Joining files happens inside your browser, and your settings and history stay on your device.
Is it legal to download videos with videofetch?: It depends on the video and where you live. Only download videos you have the right to save, and respect the terms of the sites you visit and the people who made the videos.
Is videofetch free?: Yes. It is free, has no ads, and does not ask you to sign up or log in.

Add the videofetch video downloader to your browser

Free, no account, and nothing leaves your device.

Add to Chrome(opens the Chrome Web Store)