If you have a question that isn't listed here, or if you have any feedback/bug reports, please contact me on Twitter, or send an email. Thanks!

How do I use the Safari extension? After launching ViDL for the first time, the Safari extension should show up automatically in Safari's settings, where you can activate it. It adds a button to your toolbar that allows you to download videos from the page you're on. The functionality is completely equivalent to the bookmarklet, except that there's no confirmation dialog before opening the app.

What about other browsers? You can use the bookmarklet. Its functionality is equivalent.

I have a problem downloading videos from [website xyz]. Which websites does the app support? First of all, ViDL is not intended or designed to circumvent any kind of DRM or allow you to download videos from paid websites (like Netflix, Prime Video etc.). Since ViDL is based on youtube-dl (a free command-line tool), the list of supported websites should be identical. Because new versions of youtube-dl are released frequently, please check the "Update youtube-dl" option in the preferences of ViDL. This can often fix incompatibilities, especially if the site you're downloading from used to work previously.

Can I pause/resume downloads? Not individually, but when you quit the app, your running downloads are saved, and are automatically resumed the next time you start the app.

How are cookies handled? Cookies in browsers are necessary for logins on websites to work. ViDL essentially has to emulate a web browser to download videos from websites that require a login (for example, private playlists on YouTube). If a video requires a login, you can use an in-app browser to log in, and ViDL will automatically use the session cookies for downloading videos. This makes it possible to e.g. download your personal Watch Later list from YouTube, but is generally not necessary for most videos. Just like in a normal web browser, your cookies are only ever sent to the website you're downloading from.

Why is the download so big?

Mostly because ViDL includes bundled ffmpeg binaries that are used by youtube-dl to convert some videos from one format to another, and to extract audio tracks. These would normally have to be installed separately.

Can I bring my own ffmpeg ?