NewPipe APK Download (2026) — Latest Version for Android | NewPipe Guide
Here’s the promise: every YouTube video, zero ads, no Google account, no subscription fee, in an 11 MB app that respects you.
📦v0.29.1
🗓️Updated Aug 21, 2026
♾️Free forever (open source)
✅No account needed
🔒No Google Play Services required
🎉No catch
Quick answer: NewPipe is a free, open-source Android app that plays YouTube with zero ads, no tracking, and no Google account. It is not on the Play Store, so you install the APK yourself from GitHub, F-Droid, or the official website newpipe.net. It is Android-only: no iPhone version exists and none is planned.
What Is NewPipe?
NewPipe is a lightweight, open-source YouTube client for Android, built by Team NewPipe and released under the GPL-3.0 license. Instead of using Google’s official YouTube API, it parses the YouTube website directly. That design choice is what makes the feature list possible: no pre-roll or mid-roll ads, background audio playback, a floating popup player, video and audio downloads, and subscriptions and playlists stored on your device instead of in a Google account.
Because it never identifies you to Google’s servers, there is nothing to log into and nothing tracking you. It also runs without Google Play Services, so it works on de-Googled phones, custom ROMs, and devices where the Play Store is missing entirely. The tradeoff is maintenance: when YouTube changes its site layout, NewPipe can break until Team NewPipe ships a fix, which usually lands within days.
Let’s be blunt about the deal YouTube offers you: sit through the ads, or pay monthly to skip them. NewPipe is the third option nobody advertises.
It’s a free, open-source app that plays YouTube, no ads, no tracking, no account. It isn’t on the Play Store (Google isn’t exactly thrilled about it), so you install it straight from the developers. About a minute, and you’re done.
NewPipe v0.29.1: Latest Version
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.29.1 (build 1015) |
| Released | August 21, 2026 |
| File size | ~11 MB |
| Requires | Android 6.0+ |
| Developer | Team NewPipe |
| License | GPL-3.0 (open source) |
| Package | org.schabi.newpipe |
| SHA-256 | CB:84:06:9B:D6:81:16:BA:FA:E5:EE:4E:E5:B0:8A:56:7A:A6:D8:98:40:4E:7C:B1:2F:9E:75:6D:F5:CF:5C:AB |
| Last verified | October 12, 2026 ✓ |
We check every release against the official GitHub within 24 hours. If this page ever shows an old version, something’s wrong on our end, tell us.
What’s New in v0.29.1
The latest release, in plain English: v0.29.1 (Aug 21, 2026) is a hotfix, it repairs live streams that broke in the previous build. If your streams stopped loading recently, this is the update that fixes them.
Sounds small, matters more than it looks: hotfix releases like this are exactly why you want the current version, not whatever a stale mirror site is still serving. Half the “NewPipe download” pages ranking on Google are shipping older builds.
Download Sources, Ranked
Where You Download NewPipe From Actually Matters
Get it from the wrong place and you could end up with a tampered file, or updates that refuse to install six months from now. Here’s the ranking, simplest first:
1
GitHub Releases
The official source. This is where new versions land first, straight from the developers. Fastest updates, zero middlemen.
2
F-Droid (NewPipe’s own repo)
Same app, same signature as the GitHub build. Add NewPipe’s repo to F-Droid once and updates arrive inside the app. Good if you already use F-Droid.
3
F-Droid main repo
Works, but slower: F-Droid has to build and sign it themselves, which adds days.
Fine as a fallback.
4. Official website (newpipe.net).
⚠️ Pick ONE source and stick with it. The GitHub and F-Droid builds are signed with different keys. Install from GitHub, then try updating from F-Droid (or the reverse), and Android will refuse with an “App not installed” error. Nothing’s broken, the signatures just don’t match. Full explanation →
Verify your APK before installing. Team NewPipe publishes the SHA-256 fingerprint of its signing key so you can confirm a download is genuine. Compare it with an APK verifier app before you tap install:
CB:84:06:9B:D6:81:16:BA:FA:E5:EE:4E:E5:B0:8A:56:7A:A6:D8:98:40:4E:7C:B1:2F:9E:75:6D:F5:CF:5C:AB
If the fingerprint does not match, do not install the file. Note: APKs from F-Droid’s main repository carry F-Droid’s signature, not this one, which is exactly why the two builds cannot update each other.
When F-Droid is behind: F-Droid builds and signs its own copies, so its updates land days later than GitHub. If YouTube breaks and F-Droid does not have the fix yet, Team NewPipe’s own recommended procedure is: back up your data (Settings > Backup and Restore > Export Database), uninstall NewPipe, install the fresh APK from GitHub, then import the database you exported. Subscriptions, playlists, and history come back intact.
Why People Switch to NewPipe
🚫 Zero ads. Not “fewer ads.” Zero.
There’s no ad system in the app to begin with. Pre-rolls, mid-rolls, banners, gone.
🌙 Plays with your screen off.
Podcasts, music, long video essays, keep listening with the screen locked. There’s a floating popup player too, for when you’re doing something else.
🔒 No account. No tracking.
Your subscriptions and playlists live on your device, not on Google’s servers. You can import your existing YouTube subscriptions in one tap and Google never knows.
⬇️ Download what you want.
Save videos, or audio-only, for offline. Pick the quality yourself. Your files, your rules.
📺 Up to 4K, no strings.
Where a video offers higher resolutions, NewPipe plays them. No Premium tier holding 4K hostage.
📦 11 MB and open source.
No bloat, no mystery. The code is public and anyone can inspect it. That’s the entire trust model: don’t take our word for it, check it.
NewPipe vs the Alternatives
How Does It Stack Up?
| Feature | NewPipe | LibreTube | Tubular | ReVanced | YouTube Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, forever | Free, forever | Free, forever | Free (you patch it yourself) | $15.99/month (US) |
| Ads | None, no ad code in the app | None | None, plus SponsorBlock skips sponsors | Blocked via patch | Removed (that is what you pay for) |
| Google account needed | No | No | No | Yes (via MicroG) | Yes |
| Google Play Services needed | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Setup | Easy, install the APK | Easy, install the APK | Easy, install the APK | Fiddly, patching required | None, it is the official app |
| When YouTube changes things | Breaks occasionally, hotfixed fast | Breaks occasionally, fixed via updates | Upstream archived July 2026, no more updates | Breaks too | Not affected (official app) |
| Standout feature | Multiple services: YouTube, PeerTube, SoundCloud and more | SponsorBlock plus optional Piped sync | NewPipe with SponsorBlock built in | Patches the official YouTube app | Official, hassle-free |
The honest summary: want the simplest ad-free YouTube with zero Google ties? That’s NewPipe. Prefer the official app’s interface and don’t mind setup? ReVanced. Happy paying monthly? Premium it is.
Pros and Cons
The Honest Scorecard
✅ The good:
- Actually ad-free, not “fewer ads.” Zero. No Premium subscription, ever.
- No Google account, no Play Services, runs fine on de-Googled phones and older devices.
- Tiny and open source, 11 MB, public code, nothing hiding inside it.
- Background play, popup player, downloads, the exact features people pay Premium for, free.
- Free forever, the GPL license means nobody can put it behind a paywall later.
❌ The trade-offs:
- Not on the Play Store: you install and update it yourself. A minute of effort, but still effort.
- Breaks a few times a year: YouTube changes things, videos stop loading until a hotfix lands (usually within days).
- No iOS, no cloud sync, Android-only, and your subscriptions live on your device alone.
- Two builds, one headache: the GitHub and F-Droid versions can’t update each other (different signing keys). Pick one source and stick to it.
Verdict: if you want ad-free YouTube without Google in your pocket, the trade-offs are small. If you want zero-maintenance, the official app is zero-maintenance.
A Moment of Honesty: Who Should Skip NewPipe
We’d rather you know now than find out later:
- iPhone users: NewPipe is Android-only. No iOS version exists, and the sites claiming otherwise are lying to you.
- If you need subscriptions synced across devices through Google, NewPipe keeps everything local, by design. No cloud sync.
- If an app breaking twice a year ruins your week: YouTube changes break NewPipe occasionally. Fixes land fast, but if you want zero-maintenance, the official app is zero-maintenance.
Everyone else? You’re exactly who this was built for.
Screenshots
How to Install: 3 Steps
Installing NewPipe Takes About a Minute
- Step 1: Download the APK above. From GitHub or F-Droid, your pick. Just don’t mix the two (see the warning above).
- Step 2: Open the file. Your phone will ask permission to let your browser “install unknown apps.” Allow it. This is normal, it’s how every app outside the Play Store installs, and you can turn it off again after.
- Step 3: Tap Install, then Open. That’s it. No sign-up, no setup wizard, no “create an account” wall. You’re in.
Videos Suddenly Stopped Loading?
Don’t Reinstall Yet: It’s Probably Not You
Every few months YouTube changes something on their end and NewPipe videos refuse to play. It looks like the app died. It didn’t, it just needs the hotfix the developers already shipped.
Before you do anything drastic: update to the latest version above. That fixes it 9 times out of 10. For the 10th time, here’s the full fix guide: including the signing-key trap that causes “App not installed” errors when updating.
Is It Actually Safe? Fair Question.
You’re installing an app from outside the Play Store, so skepticism is healthy. Short version: NewPipe itself is safe. It’s open source, carries no ads and no trackers, and its code is audited by its community.
The real risk isn’t the app, it’s fake download sites serving tampered copies. Stick to the sources ranked above and you’re fine.
NewPipe Questions, Answered Straight
Is NewPipe APK safe to install?
Yes, if you download it from GitHub or F-Droid. It’s open-source software with no ads, no trackers, and a public codebase. The danger is clone sites distributing modified copies, so verify the signature after downloading. Our safety guide walks through it step by step.
Why isn’t NewPipe on the Play Store?
Because Google’s policies don’t allow YouTube clients that strip ads or bypass its APIs, and NewPipe deliberately uses neither Google’s framework nor the YouTube API. That’s also why it works on de-Googled phones.
Is NewPipe legal?
The app itself is legal, open-source software. Downloading copyrighted videos can violate YouTube’s terms or local law depending on where you live, that’s on you, not the app. Streaming and watching is a non-issue.
Do I need a Google account to use NewPipe?
No. That’s rather the point. Subscriptions, playlists, and history are stored locally on your device. You can import your existing YouTube subscriptions without ever logging in.
Will NewPipe stop working?
Sometimes, briefly. YouTube changes things on their end a few times a year and videos can break until the team ships a hotfix, usually within days. If your videos suddenly won’t load, check our fix guide before panicking; it’s almost always this.
NewPipe vs ReVanced, which is better?
Depends on what you want. NewPipe needs no Google account and no Google services, and it’s featherweight. ReVanced patches the official YouTube app, which some people prefer for the familiar interface, but it needs MicroG and more setup. Full comparison here.
Does NewPipe work on iPhone?
No, Android only, and there are no plans for iOS. If you’re on iPhone, here are the closest alternatives that actually exist (plus a warning about the fake “NewPipe iOS” sites).
How do I update NewPipe?
From the same source you installed it from, remember the signing-key rule. GitHub users grab the new release; F-Droid users get it pushed. Never mix sources or the update will fail.