I'd recommend people switch to PipePipe

[dftf-stu]

During these recent YouTube issues, and with how-rarely Tubular is updated now, I moved-back to NewPipe, given it's had three updates (0.28.5, 0.28.6, 0.28.7) that haven't yet been merged into the Tubular code. However, NewPipe is also still having the same-issues as Tubular.

So I looked-into what other apps I could switch to, decided Grayjay may be too-different and wanted another app with a similar UI and feature-set to at-least NewPipe but more-ideally Tubular (especially the SponsorBlock) and came-across PipePipe... and virtually everything I'd normally use is working fine there!

Comparison:

FEATURE TUBULAR 0.28.4 PIPEPIPE 5.1.1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTube feed update in "Slow Mode" "Items not loaded: 8" error "Not loaded: 1"
"Something went wrong" error --
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTube feed update in "Fast Mode" Works, no errors Works, no errors
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTube video playback quality 360p only on all videos Working (144p-2160p)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTube video offline download 360p or captions only Yes (144p-2160p)
Audio-only option missing Audio-only working
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SponsorBlock functionality? Yes (built-in) Yes (built-in)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can see Likes/Dislikes on videos? Yes (on by-default) Yes (Settings > Advanced >
"Show dislike count")
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Switch between caption languages? Yes² Yes²
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Switch between video auto-dubs? Not working¹ Not working¹
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

¹ Tested via this Mr. Beast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaMdXZMvT3w
In NewPipe, changed Settings > Content > "Default content language" to "French"
In PipePipe, changed Settings > Content > "Preferred audio language" to "French"
Apps were closed and re-opened before testing

² Tested using the same Mr. Beast video as-above.

---

I wouldn't normally promote a rival app, given it's a bit-cheeky to do so, but... given it could be months before Tubular next gets a code-update, if anyone wants a working app in the meantime, PipePipe seems to be working just fine for me now.

(Even the latest NewPipe (0.28.7) still has all the same-issues I noted above: odd how PipePipe doesn't, when that app is also a fork of NewPipe, and uses the same extractor-service, but there you go.)

Download the APK for manual install here:
https://github.com/InfinityLoop1308/PipePipe/releases

Or currently one-version behind on the F-Droid store:
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/InfinityLoop1309.NewPipeEnhanced/

[dftf-stu]

For anyone who does consider switching, then you can export data from Tubular like so:

• For everything: Settings > Backup and Restore > Export database
• For channel subscriptions only (no history or playlists): tap the three-dots on the "Subscriptions" screen > Export to > File

Then before importing, in PipePipe do the following first:

• Menu (top-left three-lines) > Settings > Feed > Set "Fetch from dedicated feed when available" to ON
  This should make your subscriptions all import successfully

Then, based on which type of export you did earlier, restore them the relevant way in PipePipe:

• If you exported everything: Menu > Settings > Backup > Import database
• If you exported only subscriptions: Menu > Subscriptions > Previous export

SponsorBlock is already enabled in PipePipe and works the same way
Dislikes though you have to turn on: Settings > Advanced > Set "Show dislike count" to ON

[archangel-12]

just saw your post today... it's working 👍🏻

If anything, we shouldn't blame @polymorphicshade behind tubular for keeping it free for us. We should blame Google for everything, especially given how much has become restricted over the past few months let alone in the upcoming September. Long live open-source platforms, fuck tech companies 🖕🏻

[Shallrath]

Thanks for the recommendation. Nobody is entitled to the FOSS developers to keep maintaining their projects and therefore nobody can blame them from discontinuing. Sadly, it happens that one-man-projects go stale and nobody takes over or not even other developers' pull requests get merged anymore.

Kudos to @polymorphicshade for the great work on Tubular!

PipePipe seems great but it's a small project too that could suffer the same fate as Tubular. The most reliable solution would be to stay with NewPipe and its lack of SponsorBlock...

[vitalca]

While I was waiting for the fix, I tried PipePipe and it was great! I'd be happy to switch. The reason I can't do it is a missing feature, which to me is much more important than SponsorBlock.

To my knowledge, Tubular is the only NewPipe fork that supports Seek instead of skipping on external media button events. I only listen to podcasts and never to music. Without this feature, it's unusable. Before it was introduced, I had to download an audio track and play it with an audiobook player.

It works great with both my BT earphones and my car's sound system via the buttons on the steering wheel. I use it constantly to step back and forth when needed.

It might not be very difficult to replicate in the PipePipe project. If the maintainers are willing to accept it, of course.

[dftf-stu]

@archangel-12 , @Shallrath : of course, Tubular has been great and I'm certainly not trying to throw-shade at @polymorphicshade , but they are a human like the rest of us, and are probably now busy in life: maybe they've had a child, or are having to move-around to find work, or are busy studying for exams? But it doesn't change the fact that for us end-users of Tubular, it isn't getting updated often now, leading to things breaking. And if a working alternative exists, which is also free, why not suggest moving to it?

@Shallrath : of course PipePipe could suffer the same-fate, but in the meantime it works. If it ever stops being developed, backup your subs or entire database, and move to a different app. But as I said in my first post here, NewPipe is actually still having issues in their latest version: I get more errors, cannot download video or audio offline, and videos are all limited to 360p. PipePipe is not having any of those issues, so is actually a better-choice than NewPipe currently.

@vitalca : go to the PipePipe Issue tracker and suggest the feature: adding screenshots of the settings that currently exist in Tubular for reference would help. I'm going to open some myself for features that Tubular offers that PipePipe doesn't...

[dangarciahe]

Download the APK for manual install here:

I would like to add that Obtanium simplifies this process: "Obtainium allows you to install and update apps directly from their releases pages, and receive notifications when new releases are made available."

It serves as a "centralizer" for FOSS APKs, including update managing.

Disclaimer: I have NO affiliation with Obtanium, I just think they are neat.

[matteobtt]

I switched from PipePipe to Tubular because PeerTube videos don't load on "What's New" tab, despite InfinityLoop1308/PipePipe#1202 closed.

[dftf-stu]

@matteobtt : if you have an issue with a PeerTube server where videos from it don't appear in the PipePipe feed, but do in Tubular and NewPipe, and it's on the same device, using the same network and DNS settings, then log a new ticket over at PipePipe. If it is possible to provide a URL of the server (i.e. it's public, not secret or members-only), then that would obviously help.

Also, in PipePipe go to Menu > Settings > Feed > "Fetch from dedicated feed when available" and try changing that to the opposite of whatever it currently is, swipe the app of screen, go back in and refresh the feed. That might help.

Also check under Menu > Settings > Content Filter that you haven't accidentally blocked the channel in the "Filter by keywords" or "Filter by channels" options. And in Menu > Settings > Advanced make sure "Use experimental new UI" is turned-off.

Or feel-free to stick with Tubular if that meets your need; but remember it's not updated often, so if NewPipe also works fine for your needs, I'd suggest always keeping the latest version of that on your device.

[Cookster-bitch]

tubular better

[dftf-stu]

@Cookster-bitch : stick with Tubular then, if it's working for you... no-one is forcing you to switch 👍🏻

Just bear in-mind the last code-update was nearly three-months ago now, so YouTube may stop working if NewPipe has to issue any updates for their app that Tubular may not get updated to include.

For now, in Tubular, go into Menu > Settings > Content and ensure "Fetch from dedicated feed when available" is turned ON, then you should get your Subs feed fully-update with no errors. For now, I can still watch videos in Tubular, but they are all limited to 360p quality, and I get the Could not parse website error on every video. If neither of those bother you, stick with Tubular 👍🏻

[hertz0022]

Problem with PipePipe is that it's an hard fork of NewPipe, so you add another 3rd party you need to trust and hope that it'll maintain it, especially the export compatibility with the major project if you'll need to reswitch in the future (like in cases as this one with Tubular) and don't want to lose your long history in these clients.
But as usual this is a general risk in open source and its lack of maintainers.

[dftf-stu]

@hertz0022 : sure, but Tubular is also a fork of NewPipe:

• when the app crashes, the error-report directs you to NewPipe's GitHub to make the report
• the recent-warning about Google locking-down Android had NewPipe branding all-over it
• if you go to Menu > About & FAQ, most of the links there take you to NewPipe sites
• when you export subscriptions or all of your settings, the filename has "newpipe" in it
• the default offline-download folder Tubular defaults to is "NewPipe" within the internal-storage Downloads folder

So it's fairly-obvious that Tubular is also forked from NewPipe, as it doesn't hide the fact very-well!

So, sure, there's always a danger if you move to another app they could change the export format. If that bothers you, then stick with Tubular. Once again: no-one is forcing anyone to move. You could have Grayjay, NewPipe, PipePipe and Tubular all on your phones and/or tablets if you wish...! You don't have to commit to any one single app, either!

[hertz0022]

@dftf-stu It's obvious that it's a fork, but a soft one, still dependent on the upstream project for fixes and updates.
My point was that PipePipe is a hard one (as explicitly stated in its readme too), and therefore more free to diverge and make decisions as the maintainers see fit.

Anyway my comment was not meant to criticize your suggestion, just a point that concerns me for the future. Actually it's a great open issue for Tubular's users, usually these kind of projects just die even with their communities in the issues, making it hard to find the next client that better fills the gap.
You even specified that export is fully supported (with an option to change) for now, so I'll give it a try and see whether this changes in the future.
Thank you!

[racuna]

I switched to BravePipe via Obtainum. For me sometimes works better than PipePipe (I have both installed)

[RoonMoonlight]

Honestly I would rather wait for someone willing to continue Tubular as a seperate fork project. PipePipe is great option but downside is that the incompatibility with NewPipe format since they intend to be an hard fork, so if you do migrate to PipePipe there will be many hassles.

Additionally when PipePipe ever gets discontinued you cannot go back into NewPipe or Tubular as the exported configuration files are not compatible each other and will cause 100% breakages (Unless PipePipe supports latest NewPipe format that allows to migrate each other)