[deprecated] What is "YouTube use Flash Player" extension and how does it work?

The "YouTube use Flash Player" extension enables YouTube to utilize the Flash player instead of the default HTML5 player. The Flash player typically offers better performance, particularly on lower-end devices. To revert to the default player, deactivate the extension. It's important to note that this extension does not provide a user interface. To ensure its functionality, refresh a YouTube page, wait for the player to load completely, and then right-click on the player. You should observe the context menu associated with Flash.

What is "YouTube No Buffer (Stop autoplaying)" extension and how does it work?

The "YouTube No Buffer" extension aims to prevent YouTube from automatically buffering videos when a YouTube page is loaded. Its purpose is to stop the initial buffering that occurs when opening a new tab or window on YouTube. It's important to note that this extension does not prevent YouTube from playing subsequent tracks within the active window. It only functions when a page is refreshed. To halt YouTube from loading video segments on a page that has already loaded, click the browser's refresh button. Once the player begins loading the video file, it will be allowed to play subsequent tracks. There are no aggressive stopping methods in this extension as those methods prevent you from watching playlists.

This extension can prevent auto-buffering (auto-playing) on the following URLs (starting from version 0.1.5):

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=*
• https://www.youtube.com/user/*
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/*
• All embedded YouTube players

Please note that the additional permissions requested in version 0.1.5 are specifically for stopping auto-playing on embedded YouTube players.

What are the tools and how can I get them?

YouTube Player AdBlocker (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge)

• Prevent YouTube from displaying ads within the player interface with this extension. It's important to note that this extension is not an ad blocker, making it highly lightweight. Instead, it simply instructs the player to stop loading ads while playing videos.

YouTube No Buffer (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge)

• This extension prevents YouTube from automatically buffering video content unless manually requested. It proves particularly useful in preventing multiple YouTube tabs from buffering videos simultaneously. Additionally, you can add exceptions for playlists, which can be beneficial when multiple tracks are being played consecutively, similar to a music player.

YouTube No Annotations (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)

• Prevent YouTube from displaying annotations on top of the video player interface. Users can still enable annotations by manually activating them in the settings menu (note that annotations will be disabled upon the next page load).

YouTube in HD (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge)

• This extension ensures that YouTube streams videos in high-definition quality. Upon starting playback, the extension enforces a pre-defined HD quality. If YouTube automatically switches to a lower resolution for any reason, the extension intervenes once again to enforce HD quality. Furthermore, the extension provides the option to allow YouTube to choose from multiple HD quality options through the options page.

YouTube Stop Button (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)

• This extension introduces a stop button to the YouTube player. When this button is pressed, the YouTube player will unload itself, ceasing any further data fetching. This unloading allows the player to enter the stop mode. In this mode, only a preview image of the video is shown without accessing the video streams.

YouTube auto Pause and Resume (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge)

• This extension automatically pauses the YouTube player when the page is hidden and resumes playback when the page becomes active again. This feature proves useful when multiple YouTube players are open in different tabs, and you prefer to have only the active tab playing while the others remain on hold until their respective tabs regain focus.

YouTube Theater Mode (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge)

• This extension ensures that YouTube starts in theater mode by default. However, you still have the option to switch back to the normal view if desired. But on subsequent runs, the extension will set it back to theater mode. It's worth noting that this extension employs a native method to achieve this functionality, without any CSS or JavaScript manipulation. As a result, the extension remains lightweight, and the theater mode button continues to function properly. This extension works even if you are not logged-in.

Permanent Progress Bar for YouTube (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

• The "YouTube Permanent Progress Bar" extension shows a compact progress bar on YouTube's video player, even when in fullscreen mode, and the default progress bar is hidden. This feature helps keep track of the video's progress and loaded percentages, especially when viewing lengthy videos. You can customize the height of the permanent progress bar according to your preference on the options page of the extension.

Lyrics for YouTube (Firefox, Opera)

• The "YouTube Lyrics Search" extension allows users to search for lyrics of the currently playing track on YouTube. It adds a new button next to the settings button on the YouTube player. When clicked, the extension searches for lyrics based on the video title and displays them in an embedded section below the player. Unlike similar add-ons, this extension does not continuously run background checks for lyrics while browsing YouTube, resulting in a more streamlined experience.

YouTube Repeat Button (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera)

• This extension introduces a new button to the YouTube player, allowing you to repeat a single track continuously with a one-second delay. By default, the extension is disabled. To enable it for the current track, click the button once, and it will change color to white, indicating that the extension is now active. Alternatively, you can append "&repeat=true" to the YouTube page's address to enable the repeater automatically. If you bookmark a page with this argument, the YouTube player will start in repeater mode when accessed through the bookmark. It's important to note that this extension does not function in playlist mode. The extension offers to switch to normal playing mode if the button is clicked while you are watching a track in the playlist mode.

Picture in Picture - PiP View (Chrome, Edge, Opera)

• This extension adds a player button to switch the YouTube player to picture-in-picture mode. This mode pops the player out of the page, placing it in a floating window that remains on top of all other windows. Picture-in-picture mode proves helpful when you want to keep the player visible while browsing other tabs or performing other tasks on your device.

Volume Booster for YouTube (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)

• This extension enables users to amplify the volume of the YouTube player up to twice the maximum allowed value (similar to the VLC player). This feature is handy when the default maximum volume of the player is insufficiently loud. The extension adds a "2x" button next to the settings gear on the player. It is recommended to use this button only if the default maximum volume is inadequate for your needs.

YouTube use Flash Player (Firefox, Opera)

• [deprecated] This extension ensures that YouTube always prioritizes the Flash player over the default HTML5 player. However, please note that in Safari, you will need to activate the Flash player specifically for the YouTube website. To do so, please refer to this guide for instructions on enabling the Flash player in Safari.

[deprecated] Can the "YouTube use Flash Player" extension be used alongside the "YouTube No Buffer (Stop auto-playing)" extension?

No, it is not possible to use both extensions together. The Flash player is loaded after the YouTube config file is populated, making it challenging to manipulate this player easily.

Can the YouTube No Buffer (Stop auto-playing) extension stop an already buffered video on YouTube?

Yes, click the browser's refresh button and allow the player to retrieve the configs again. This will effectively stop the video player. Alternatively, use the "Stop Button" extension to unload the current player.

What does the "YouTube No Annotations" extension do, and how does it work?

This extension disables annotations by default. When a video uploader adds annotations to a video, YouTube typically displays them automatically. However, these annotations can often be distracting. By using this extension, you can instruct the player to stop loading annotations by default. Nevertheless, you still have the option to manually enable them from the player's settings gear if desired.

Is it possible to view annotations while using the YouTube No Annotations extension?

Certainly! You can still see annotations by enabling them through the gear button. This extension instructs the YouTube player not to load annotations by default. You have the option to manually enable annotations whenever you want.

What does the "YouTube in HD" extension do, and how does it work?

The "YouTube in HD" extension automatically prompts YouTube to switch to high definition (HD) quality when a non-HD resolution is selected. This extension ensures that YouTube plays videos in HD by requesting HD quality whenever YouTube would otherwise default to a lower resolution.

What's new in this version?

Please check the Logs section.

Can all these settings be combined into a single extension?

While there are extensions available that offer a combination of these settings, it is often preferable to keep them as separate, individual extensions. This allows for easier maintenance and troubleshooting in case a specific feature malfunctions. You can have a more streamlined experience by installing only the tools you need. It's important to note that these extensions typically have minimal impact on browser performance.

Why do these extensions require permission to access the user's browser history? Please explain.

The permission that these extensions use is "*://*.youtube.com". This permission is necessary to inject the interacting script into all YouTube pages. Unfortunately, the displayed permission description can be somewhat misleading. However, you can verify the used permissions by downloading the package and extracting it to a local directory. By examining the "manifest.json" file, you can view the actual list of permissions. It is important to note that these extensions do not send any data to external servers, nor do they access local data. Their sole purpose is to configure the YouTube player before the page load. That's all they do!

Why does my "YouTube no Buffer" extension pause videos instead of stopping them in version 0.3.0?

The reason for this change is due to a recent update in the EasyList blocking list. The updated rule in EasyList prevents YouTube from fetching video information when the webpage is loaded. As a result, the YouTube player fails to retrieve the necessary information when transitioning from a stopped state to a playing state. To ensure compatibility with this new rule, the "YouTube no Buffer" extension now defaults to pausing videos instead of completely stopping them. However, if you don't have an extension that uses this rule (such as uBlock Origin or AdBlocker), or if you have whitelisted the rule, you can visit the options page of the "YouTube no Buffer" extension and request the actual stopping of videos.