A free YouTube downloader for Android
TubeMate is a free app that lets you download any YouTube video to your Android phone. The app gives you a surprising number of download options too.
This program can be great if you’re looking to have more control about the video’s quality, whether you only want the audio, and where to store the file, like a phone’s internal memory or an external SD card.
Why use TubeMate?
Streaming YouTube videos can use up valuable mobile data. If you’re using a WiFI connection, then this isn’t such an issue. However, if you don’t have access to WiFi, have a limited data plan, don’t want to use your battery continually, or plan to turn on airplane mode, then downloading videos to your phone lets you bypass all of these issues.
This is especially crucial if you enjoy streaming videos in high quality, like 1280p or above. These types of videos require even more mobile data to stream. With TubeMate you can pick your preferred video quality and download the video to your Android device.
How do I download TubeMate on my Android phone?
Google actively blocks any type of TubeMate app for Android, which would enable you to download videos from the Google Play Store. Instead, you need to download the TubeMate APK to your phone and install it. APK Stands for Android Package Kit. It’s the format used by Android phones to dispense and install applications.
Before downloading the TubeMate APK, you need to check that your phone allows downloads from unknown sources. If you’re running Android 8 Oreo, you need to turn on ‘Installation from unknown sources for all apps.’ To find it, navigate to Settings > Security > Unknown source and allow the installation.
On later iterations of Android, you’ll see a system prompt when attempting to run the APK file. Here you’ll need to grant permission to install the app.
How to use TubeMate
Using TubeMate is easy, and the intuitive user interface stays away from unnecessary clutter. To download a video, you’ll have to tap on it as if you are about to watch it. In the lower right-hand corner, you’ll see a red download button. You just need to tap it to open the download menu and choose the video quality and format, such as MP4 or WEBM.
You also have the option to only download the audio file in the following formats: M4A/AAC, OGG, and MP3. However, you need a separate converter app to download MP3 files.
TubeMate also includes its own media player, so you can playback videos and audio files. It’s not the slickest media player, but it gets the job done, letting you quickly change the volume, stop and start the file, turn on shuffle and repeat, and jump forward and backward.
Does TubeMate work with other video platforms?
Yes. TubeMate also works with other media platforms like Twitter, DailyMotion, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. There are still some issues, though. For example, when using TubeMate on Twitter, you need to close the app and wait for 3 minutes.
Is TubeMate safe?
Google removed TubeMap from its Play Store because it violates the terms of use. This is also true for alternative apps like Snaptube or Vidmate. As long as you take the necessary precautions like downloading the TubeMate APK from a secure website, it’s safe to use. You’ll also want to bear in mind the TubeMate app will require permission to access your media files to save downloads and use the media player effectively.
Why is TubeMate not installing?
Because TubeMate isn’t installed via the Google Play Store, you may run into installation issues that you wouldn’t usually face. The most common error is due to insufficient storage. If you see the error message ‘App not installed,’ this is the most likely cause. Deleting files or uninstalling some apps may help create more available space.
It’s also essential that you install the app on your phone’s internal memory and not on any kind of external storage. While you can download and store videos and audio files on an external SD card, the TubeMate app should be installed on your phone’s storage.
Finally, trying to install a corrupted APK file can cause an unsuccessful installation. This is why it’s recommended only to download the APK from trusted websites. TubeMate is an extremely popular app and prone to fake websites trying to take advantage of you.
Which is better: Vidmate or TubeMate?
Both apps perform well as a video downloader. However, Vidmate offers more options than TubeMate and a more polished user interface with a better-looking design and more functionality.
Both apps let you download video and audio separately and choose the quality. Vidmate does give you the option to download from more sites like IMDB as long as you have an active account. It also offers more settings and customization options like push notifications and enabling Wi-Fi only.
Vidmate also offers access to its own app store, where you can search and download from a large list of apps available in the app store, as well as others that aren’t. While all of these features provide more functionality, it doesn’t necessarily make Vidmate a better download manager for YouTube and other websites.
More than just a YouTube downloader
The primary focus of TubeMate is to make it easy for you to find and download videos on YouTube and other popular social media and video sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. TubeMate’s UI isn’t the prettiest out there, but it certainly gets the job done. Even beginners will find it easy to use. The interface also makes clever use of swiping to reduce the amount of clutter on the screen.
To download a video, all you need to do is navigate to it, click the download button, choose your video/audio quality, and that’s it.
