Privacy Policy
At VidGrab, your privacy is paramount. This policy outlines how we handle your data with complete transparency and respect.
Last updated: January 2025
Zero Tracking
VidGrab does not track you. No cookies, no analytics, no telemetry. Your activity stays local.
Local Processing
All downloads happen on your machine. We don't see, store, or process your files.
Open Source
All code is open source. Anyone can verify exactly what VidGrab does.
No Account Required
Use VidGrab without creating an account, logging in, or providing personal data.
1. Information We Don't Collect
VidGrab is designed with privacy first. The application:
- •Does not collect personal information (name, email, IP address)
- •Does not track your downloads or browsing activity
- •Does not use cookies or similar tracking technologies
- •Does not send any data to external servers (except to YouTube/yt-dlp)
- •Does not contain ads, analytics, or telemetry
2. How VidGrab Works
VidGrab is a desktop application that uses yt-dlp to download videos. Here's what happens:
- 1.You paste a YouTube URL into VidGrab (locally on your machine)
- 2.VidGrab connects to YouTube to fetch video metadata (title, duration, formats)
- 3.You select quality/format (all choices made locally)
- 4.VidGrab downloads the video directly to your chosen folder
All processing happens on your computer. Your downloads never pass through our servers.
3. YouTube & yt-dlp
When you download a video, VidGrab communicates with YouTube's servers (not ours) to fetch the video content. This is direct device-to-YouTube communication.
Important: We recommend reviewing YouTube's Privacy Policy to understand how they handle data during video downloads.
4. Local Storage
VidGrab stores data locally on your computer only:
- •
~/.vidgrab/config.json- Your settings (quality, format, download folder) - •
~/.vidgrab/queue.json- Download queue (incomplete items only) - •
~/.vidgrab/logs/app.log- Application logs (for debugging)
These files are never transmitted anywhere. They remain entirely under your control.
5. Open Source Verification
VidGrab is 100% open source under the MIT license. You can:
- ✓Review the entire codebase on GitHub
- ✓Build from source to verify the binary matches the code
- ✓Modify and use VidGrab however you want
6. Updates & Security
VidGrab includes automatic updates to keep the application secure and current with YouTube changes. Updates:
- •Are downloaded directly from GitHub (not tracked)
- •Require your permission before installing
- •Do not collect any data about whether you update
7. Third-Party Services
VidGrab interacts with these external services:
YouTube
Direct communication only. No data flows through our servers.
GitHub (for updates & source)
Updates are downloaded from GitHub. Review their privacy policy.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy as VidGrab evolves. We'll notify users of material changes by updating the 'Last updated' date above. Continued use of VidGrab after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
9. Contact Us
Have questions about our privacy practices? We're here to help.
Our Commitment: VidGrab will always remain free, open source, and privacy-respecting. We believe downloading videos should be simple and private. That's our promise to you.