video consumption Archives

AppWizard

November 29, 2024

Wasting a lot of time watching Shorts and Reels? This app puts you back in control.

Sane Scrolling is an Android app developed by IJagan that blocks short-form videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram while allowing access to features like direct messaging and feeds. Users can set timers to limit their video consumption, and once the timer expires, they can watch an ad for additional viewing time. The app includes advertisements, and a payment is required to block videos across multiple apps. In-app purchases are one-time fees, not subscriptions. The free version allows timer extensions through ads, while paid users incur an extra fee for extensions. Future updates may introduce features like per-app timers and the ability to block scrolling through feeds.

AppWizard

November 15, 2024

Seal: A Nifty Open Source Android App to Download YouTube Video and Audio

The landscape of video consumption has shifted towards online streaming platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, making local storage of videos less common. Users often prefer to download practical videos such as DIY guides and educational content for offline access, especially with creator consent. Seal is an Android application designed for downloading YouTube videos, built on the yt-dlp framework. Users can paste a video link, customize download settings, and track download progress. Seal supports features like downloading entire playlists and subtitles, but it can only run one download at a time. The app is available for download on F-Droid, with its APK and source code on GitHub.

AppWizard

November 11, 2024

Android users spot a TikTok-style swipe on YouTube’s horizontal videos

TikTok has introduced a swipe-up gesture for video consumption, which has been adopted by competitors like Instagram and YouTube. YouTube is exploring the integration of this swipe-up feature into its standard video player, which is typically designed for horizontal viewing. This potential change was noted by Digital Trends contributor Tushar Mehta, who highlighted user skepticism about scrolling on long-form videos. Reactions on social media have been largely negative, with users expressing frustration and humor about the idea. Currently, this change is an unofficial test on Android devices, and YouTube has not made any formal statements regarding its implementation.