A growing number of NewPipe users have reported frustrating technical problems over the past day. The main issues involve being stuck with low-resolution video playback and the sudden disappearance of the option to download just audio files.
For those unfamiliar, NewPipe is a popular open-source YouTube frontend known for offering features like background playback and direct video/audio downloads, all without relying on Google Play Services. Its appeal lies in giving users more freedom and privacy—but that experience seems disrupted at the moment.
According to multiple posts across Reddit and other forums, many users are finding that videos only play or download in 360p resolution. Even when high-quality streams are available on YouTube, NewPipe seems to be locked into this lower quality, with no option to bump it up.
User czar_the_bizarre commented, “Now it’s every video no matter what I do,” echoing the broader sentiment. Another user, omgcatlol, confirmed, “Client only plays video in 320p, and downloads are limited to the same resolution.” Attempts at fixes, like clearing cache or reinstalling the app, haven’t made a difference.
One theory circulating in the community is that this issue is tied to YouTube’s backend changes. As one user explained, “YouTube has permanently removed individual stream URLs from the desktop client. There is now only a combined 360p audio/video stream and the adaptive bitrate stream URL.” This means NewPipe may now need to implement adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming to restore full functionality.
At the same time, another well-loved feature—downloading just the audio—has vanished for many users. People who regularly saved podcasts, lectures, or songs as audio files are finding the “audio only” option no longer appears in the download menu.
User Advanced_Oil_2877 noted, “Audio file download option worked perfectly last night but not now this morning… Download as audio file still missing but video download option still present.” This issue seems to be tied to the same videos experiencing the 360p limitation, suggesting a common underlying cause.
Another user, wostestwillis, echoed this concern, writing, “There used to be an option for audio only in the download popup. And now it’s gone, is this just me, permanent? Any fixes?” The lack of clarity has left many users wondering if this is a temporary glitch or something more permanent.
There’s growing speculation that recent changes to how YouTube delivers its video and audio streams could be the root cause. Some users have turned to alternatives like PipePipe or Grayjay, but those aren’t consistently immune to the same streaming limitations.
For now, it looks like NewPipe users will need to wait patiently for the developers to address these problems. A fix may arrive soon—but until then, some key features remain broken or unreliable.