this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2025
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YT-Feeds: a cross-platform ultra lightweight YouTube application with playback via MPV, saved watch history, search functionality, zero distractions, video downloading, and much more! (programming.dev)
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by nate@programming.dev to c/opensource@programming.dev
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Introducing YT-Feeds.

I was looking for an ultra lightweight YouTube client that would allow me to avoid the algorithm, clickbait thumbnails, and AI generated comment sections. After months of work, and getting side tracked many times, YT-Feeds was born. It can be found on GitHub, but is available on the AUR, and can be installed with binstall, github releases, or via cargo directly.

It is built in Rust with no graphical framework. It functions entirely on key binds and the design philosophy is to have only one page to view at any time.

Features List:

  • Fast startup and navigation
  • Uses minimal resources (under 1 Mb RAM!)
  • Distraction and short form content free
  • Allows for searching/subscribing/unsubscribing channels
  • Automatically tracks and resumes watch history locally
  • Shows recent videos from subscriptions organized by date
  • Groups subscriptions into a collective "feed" organized by date
  • Categorize and view videos in the 'watch later' menu
  • Never requires leaving the terminal or using your mouse
  • Cross platform support for ARM and x86_64 Windows, MacOS, and Linux

Bugs are to be expected in the initial release. Please use Github Issues for any bug reporting to allow for better tracking. Since initial post, version has already been updated from 1.0.2 to 1.0.5 because of fantastic users submitting bug reports!

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[–] mootny@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Very cool! Tried on intel macos - metadata fetching, browsing works. Video playback not working for me - on play loader spins for a second and nothing happens. Tried in few terminals, mpv and yt-dlp are installed via homebrew, yt-feeds installed with cargo. Do you know what can I be missing?

[–] nate@programming.dev 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Haven’t tested via MacOS yet, so I’m not sure about the issue from a glance.

As of yt-feeds 1.0.2, there was a yt-dlp issue that would do what you describe as yt-dlp requires a new flag to enable a JS backend to work around a YouTube change. I’d first check that to ensure it is on the newest version.

Otherwise, I’ll look into it on a Mac test environment tomorrow.

Edit:

Please use Github Issues for any bug reporting to allow for better tracking. The newest version of yt-feeds is now at 1.0.5 with improved error logging for better user reporting!

[–] nate@programming.dev 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Update from today:

I could not replicate this issue. It is possible you initially were on 1.0.2, which had these issues.

Steps to replicate working build:

brew install yt-dlp 
brew install mpv
cargo install --git https://github.com/nate-craft/yt-feeds
yt-feeds

This was done with all default configurations set for MPV and yt-dlp.

Sample running on MacOS

Edit:

Please use Github Issues for any bug reporting to allow for better tracking. The newest version of yt-feeds is now at 1.0.5 with improved error logging for better user reporting!

[–] mootny@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Thank you for the update! Does not work for me unfortunately - I did the same thing, attaching screenshot with versions

Going to try on linux shortly and check back

[–] mootny@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Also same experience on linux - can browse but on play it loads for a second and nothing happens. These are the versions:

[–] nate@programming.dev 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Curious: is this with the attached configuration in the documentation, or with a custom configuration for either MPV or yt-dlp?

If this is with that configuration, can you try the from source version?

Edit:

Please use Github Issues for any bug reporting to allow for better tracking. The newest version of yt-feeds is now at 1.0.5 with improved error logging for better user reporting!

[–] mootny@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I was using the untouched mpv and yt-dlp the way they are shipped. Now tried copy pasting the configs from the docs to corresponding folders - no luck still. Same experience: on press play loading for a sec and then goes back to non-playing view same as right before pressing play. I updated crate to the 1.0.5, where can I find the logs? Also tried the 1.0.5 macos binary - same thing. Sorry I cant create the github issue because don’t want to deanon this account.

Really want this to work, awesome app idea!

[–] nate@programming.dev 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Thank you for continuing to troubleshoot. No worries with GitHub, I understand your concern!

Can you check the log file? In 1.0.5 I’ve added stderr dumps from MPV to the log file. If any errors occurred, that’d give us a place to start.

I might not be able to recreate the issue, but others might have the same issue so I’m happy to find the source problem.

[–] mootny@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Where is the file it is dumping into? I can’t find it

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Why not GrayJay?

[–] nate@programming.dev 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

GrayJay seems like a neat project that I bet I would enjoy.

I created yt-feeds as I wanted an ultra lightweight TUI as I was getting tired of the 500Mb-1Gb electrons programs.

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 2 points 5 days ago

That makes sense. Congrats on getting it up and running. I need to finish at least one project I started! Much respect for doing so.