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A very quick and efficient way to download your favorite YouTube videos to your device

A very quick and efficient way to download your favorite YouTube videos to your device

Vote: (879 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Devian Studio

Version: 2.4.31.826

Works under: Android

Vote:

Program license

(879 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Devian Studio

2.4.31.826

Works under:

Android

Pros

  • Works with a majority of videos users try to download
  • Prevents inadverent use of mobile data
  • Features an audio-only mode
  • Includes an in-app browser

Cons

  • High system resource usage
  • Downloads might be slow
  • Feature set is overwhelming

TubeMate 2 is a downloader app that allows you to make local copies of YouTube videos. The official YouTube app only allows users to stream videos without saving them. When someone finds a video they want to watch later on, they can save it with TubeMate 2 and load it up with any video player app they have on their phone.

When a user wants to download a video, they're free to select any quality level from a granular setting that looks like a 144p video all the way up to 1280x720p. There's also an audio setting that lends itself to some creative uses.

Users who want to save individual tracks as MP3 files can use this feature to create them out of any song that an artist uploaded. Though this is technically against the official YouTube terms of service agreement, the app is actually able to circumvent some protections. That should prove useful to those who want to make backups of anything uploaded to a channel that might end up being taken offline at some point in the future.

Fans of podcasting might like the audio-only feature as well. TubeMate 2 can convert any video on YouTube to an audio file that's compatible with standard podcast listening apps. If you like watching videos on YouTube that are heavy on narration, then this is a great way to convert them into the digital equivalent of a radio show that you can listen to while you're on the go.

In fact, one of the biggest reasons you'll want to try TubeMate 2 is the fact that it helps users to enjoy online content when they can't be online. The default configuration works well with a traditional Wi-Fi connection. When you're logged into a local router, the app will switch on a special download mode that prevents usage of mobile data so you'll only download videos over your local connection.

It supports multiple downloads at a time, so you could put together a large playlist of videos and download them all at once. Depending on how much bandwidth your device is allowed to use, you can take advantage of the app's fast transmission mode. It considerably speeds up the downloading process, so you'll be able to enjoy your new video copies in just a few minutes. Those who can't download videos using this function may have to wait, but the process is largely automated so they won't have to keep an eye on the app while it works its magic.

In general, downloading a single long video still won't take more than maybe 30 seconds to a minute on a reasonable Wi-Fi connection. TubeMate 2's remote servers have to load the video from YouTube and then convert it into a video or auto file, but that doesn't add much lag because almost all of the heavy lifting is done by the mobile device that it runs on.

Unfortunately, this kind of functionality comes at cost. TubeMate 2 uses a ton of system resources and can slow down other processes on your device. A good idea is to run it early in the day and download a whole bunch of videos, which can then be enjoyed whenever you're at work or another location where it's difficult to use wireless data. You might also consider downloading a whole week's worth of content and then enjoying it while you're on your commute.

Since the app saves the files in your phone's normal storage locations, you'll be able to access them at any time. TubeMate 2 creates a couple of output directories to put downloaded videos in, but you're free to select other locations. You could also save them to the default location and then use your device's file manager to relocate them to anywhere you want. That makes it easy to integrate TubeMate 2 with pretty much any media app that you might have access to.

While there aren't any actual official integrations for the software, this feature gives you the flexibility to watch videos even when you're not connected to the Internet at all. Since the videos are stored locally, they work without mobile data or a local area network connection.

Users who want to save movies or music albums they save from YouTube using the app can plug their device into a PC with their USB cord and transfer the files over. They're stored in a platform-neutral format, so it shouldn't matter if you have a PC or a Macintosh computer. TubeMate 2 was designed with compatibility in mind, which should prove especially attractive to media aficionados that might fear a particular video could vanish from the web. Considering the large number of videos that are pulled down every day, users will probably download a number of them in droves. TubeMate 2 can create a playlist of a virtually unlimited number of titles, which makes it a great choice for those who want to archive potentially sensitive content.

Looking through videos that are currently posted on the web is easy because TubeMate 2 contains an in-app browser. This tool also helps users search through several other popular online streaming services.

While YouTube is by far the most popular that TubeMate 2 is compatible with, users may not be able to find certain resources there. The app will let you know if you can find something elsewhere and will then give you the option to download it from another location.

Since the browser features the same interface that any standard video surfing agent has, so you more than likely already know how to use it. You could also surf to any video on YouTube using your phone's built-in browser and then download it. Chances are that most people will probably want to use it that way.

In fact, few users will take advantage of many of the advanced features that come with the app. In fact, the app could potentially overwhelm some people as a result of the sheer number of options. Those who want to explore the various built-in menus and dashboards, however, will really appreciate everything that TubeMate 2 has to offer.

Pros

  • Works with a majority of videos users try to download
  • Prevents inadverent use of mobile data
  • Features an audio-only mode
  • Includes an in-app browser

Cons

  • High system resource usage
  • Downloads might be slow
  • Feature set is overwhelming