Download and extract VideoVault Companion. No payment or cloud video server is required. The app runs only on your computer.
winget install --id Gyan.FFmpeg -e
Close and reopen PowerShell after installing. Double-click Start-VideoVault.bat inside the extracted companion folder.
Install Python 3.11+ and FFmpeg. With Homebrew installed:
brew install python ffmpeg bash start.sh
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv ffmpeg bash start.sh
Python 3.11+ is required. Run the launcher from the extracted folder. Other distributions use their own package manager.
Modern yt-dlp may require a supported JavaScript runtime for full YouTube support. Install Deno, add it to PATH and restart the companion if YouTube reports missing JavaScript runtime support. The launcher installs yt-dlp with its default dependencies.
Keep the launcher running and open the local app on the same computer. Paste your URL or use the main website to prefill it. Confirm permission and select Start download. Use Save video file after completion. The source may limit resolutions or refuse access. Watermarked variants are skipped when tagged, but no pixel-level watermark detection or removal occurs.
Windows: double-click Update-VideoVault.bat. macOS/Linux: run bash start.sh --update. If a platform fails after an update, its public extraction may be unavailable.
Never expose the local companion to the public internet. It is meant to run on 127.0.0.1 only. Only download videos you have permission to save.