Questions and answers.

No. NewTube is an independent, unofficial project. It is not affiliated with, funded, authorized or endorsed by Google LLC, YouTube or SmartTube's developer. It is built on SmartTube's open-source code (MIT) by @yuliskov and credits it.

SmartTube is made for Android TV and TV boxes. Its README says it is not for smartphones and offers no support there: “There will not be a phone version.” NewTube is an unofficial phone client built on SmartTube's engine: the same account sign-in and the same SponsorBlock and DeArrow integrations, with a touch interface, its own player and saving for offline. If you have an Android TV, get SmartTube for it.

They're all good apps, and which one fits depends on what you want. NewPipe and LibreTube don't sign in to a Google account; they keep your subscriptions on your phone or on a Piped server. ReVanced patches the official app and needs GmsCore unless you're rooted. NewTube is built on SmartTube, so it uses your real account without any of that.

Yes. SmarterTube is another independent phone fork of SmartTube, worth comparing. The two are separate projects. One difference when this was checked in September 2026: NewTube can save videos for offline.

Yes, in large part. NewTube is one person's project, and most of its own code (the phone interface, the player and the network work) was written with AI coding assistants, Claude and Codex; the commit trailers say so. The maintainer directs and reviews that work and uses the app daily. Each release record lists what was checked on a real phone, what was checked only with automated tests, and what is still open. The engine underneath is SmartTube's, written by @yuliskov and its contributors over several years.

NewTube doesn't take donations. SmartTube did the heavy lifting, so if you want to give something back, support SmartTube.

arm64-v8a fits almost every phone from the last eight years or so. armeabi-v7a is for older 32-bit phones, universal works on any ARM phone if you're not sure (it's bigger), and x86 is for older x86 devices and emulators. NewTube needs Android 7.0 or newer. All four are on the download page.

No. NewTube isn't a patched YouTube app. It signs in with a code the way a TV does, so it doesn't need Google Play Services or a stand-in for them, and its APK contains no Google Play Services libraries.

NewTube checks its GitHub releases for a new version and offers it in the app; Android's installer then installs it over the old one, keeping your account and settings. You can also add https://github.com/aleixrodriala/newtube to Obtainium, or install a newer APK over the old one yourself.

Every NewTube APK is signed with the same key, which belongs to the maintainer, @aleixrodriala. Since 1.10.3 the APKs are built and signed by GitHub Actions from the tagged source, and each file has a build attestation. Each release lists a SHA-256 checksum and a VirusTotal scan for every APK. The app has no analytics, no crash reporting and no ad SDKs. How to check each of these is on the trust page.

Not for now, according to Google. The requirement that started on 30 September 2026 covers apps installed from participating stores, such as Google Play, in some regions and on certified Android devices. Google's FAQ says that if users sideload an app directly, “these new verification requirements won't apply to your app yet.” NewTube is installed from GitHub, so it is sideloaded. Google plans a global rollout in 2027, with an “advanced flow”: a one-time setup that lets users install apps from unverified developers after acknowledging the risks. What NewTube does about 2027 hasn't been decided yet.

1. Open the You tab and tap the account row. NewTube shows a short code.
2. Tap Continue with Google. Google's own page opens: pick your account and allow access. It may mention a TV, because NewTube signs in the same way a TV does.
3. Come back. Sign-in finishes by itself.

Your password is only ever typed into Google's page, never into NewTube, and signing in is optional. The login token is stored on your phone and never sent to the developer (backups you turn on can include it). You can revoke it at any time at myaccount.google.com/security, under Your connections to third-party apps & services.

Yes. NewTube keeps several accounts with a switcher, or none at all: once you have one, the account row opens the switcher, where you can add another. Signed out, YouTube still personalises Home from what you watch on that phone.

Yes. Pick a quality up to 1080p, or keep only the audio. Saved videos play in the same player with no connection, and they show up in your gallery. Subtitles aren't saved with them, live and upcoming videos can't be saved, and a playlist can't be saved in one go. Save only what the law and the platform's terms allow you to.

Yes. It plays in the background with lock-screen and headset controls, and in picture-in-picture on Android 8 and later. Swipe the video down and it keeps playing in a mini-player while you browse.

Pair NewTube with SmartTube on the TV using its Remote control code. You can also play straight to a Chromecast from the phone (no live streams or subtitles in that mode), or use the TV's own YouTube app.

No. Shorts don't appear in Home, Subscriptions, History, search, channels, playlists or Up next, and autoplay skips them. A Shorts link someone shares still opens, in the normal player.

NewTube's own screens are in English and Spanish so far. The settings and messages it inherits from SmartTube exist in about 45 languages. Help with more is welcome: see TRANSLATING.md.

YouTube sometimes refuses a video or an account. NewTube retries through other routes, but some videos still won't play: some only play in YouTube's own app or after a purchase, such as paid movies and some music. If one keeps failing, open an issue with the video link and your NewTube version.

On GitHub issues, or say hello on Discord.