Seal video downloader Full review
Seal packs yt-dlp into an Android app. That means desktop-level site coverage and format control on your phone: 1,800+ sites, bulk playlist downloads, audio extraction and subtitles. It is smooth to use: tap Share in any app, pick Seal, and the link is in. It is open source and free, installed from F-Droid or GitHub.
VideoDownloaderHub does not host files or proxy downloads, and links to official channels are nofollow. Score 8.5/10. Data checked September 2026.
What is Seal?
Seal is an open-source video downloader for Android that runs yt-dlp under the hood (through the youtubedl-android port). So it does not ship its own parsing, it takes the strongest engine on the desktop and puts it on your phone.
It solves a very practical problem: phones have gone a long time without a solution you can count on. Online tools in a mobile browser run into pop-ups and all kinds of download manager pitfalls, and most downloader apps in the app stores are stuffed with ads and often get pulled for policy reasons. Seal is open source, has no ads, and is distributed through channels like F-Droid, which sidesteps all of that.
It is driven by the system share menu: see a video in any app, tap Share, pick Seal, and the link is in. No copying and pasting back and forth between a browser and a downloader. It is even smoother than the desktop routine of copy, switch windows, paste.
How Seal works
Understand the mechanics and you will know when it breaks and what to do about it, instead of just hitting retry.
Running yt-dlp on your phone
Seal bundles a Python runtime ported to Android, plus yt-dlp. Once you submit a link, parsing and stream selection happen entirely on your phone, using your mobile data or Wi-Fi IP. That matters: platforms do not scrutinize residential IPs the way they do data center IPs, so its success rate on YouTube is much higher than online tools.
Merging video and audio still needs FFmpeg
Just like on the desktop, anything above 1080p means merging two separate streams. Seal has FFmpeg built in, so you get high-res files with sound without any extra setup. That is also why it gets higher quality than a mobile browser plus an online tool.
Why F-Droid and not the app store
Google Play's policies are strict on downloader apps, and apps like this often get pulled after they are listed. F-Droid and GitHub Releases are more stable distribution channels for open-source projects, and F-Droid builds from source itself, which makes builds more reproducible. The cost is that you have to turn on "install unknown apps" manually.
Breakage and updates
Like Stacher, there are two layers: the app itself, and the bundled yt-dlp. When a platform stops working, update yt-dlp inside the app first. Most of the time that is enough.
How to use Seal
The core experience is the system share menu: tap Share in YouTube, TikTok or your browser, pick Seal, and skip copying and pasting URLs.
- F-Droid is recommended (it builds from source itself). You can also grab the APK from the project's GitHub Releases. This step requires allowing apps from unknown sources in system settings. Do not download it from third-party APK sites.
- The first time you open it, it initializes the bundled yt-dlp and FFmpeg, which needs a network connection and a short wait. Let it finish before using it, otherwise you will get a parsing failure.
- Tap Share in YouTube, TikTok or your browser and pick Seal from the list. You can also paste a URL straight into Seal, but the share menu is less hassle.
- By default it downloads the best quality straight away. For precise control, open format selection: you can pick a resolution, grab audio only, or include subtitles. Advanced users can enable custom command templates and write yt-dlp flags directly.
- A playlist link expands into a list of items you can tick. If a platform suddenly stops downloading, update the bundled yt-dlp in settings first.
Platforms Seal supports
These are results we confirmed in testing, not the list the project advertises. Partial usually means you only get lower resolutions, or it only works on public content.
| Platform | Yes | Notes | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Inherited from yt-dlp. Runs on your phone with a residential IP, so the success rate beats online tools | YouTube guide | |
| TikTok | Gets the source stream without a watermark | TikTok guide | |
| Public content works. Followers-only content needs cookies, which is a hassle on a phone | Instagram guide | ||
| X / Twitter | Both videos and GIFs work | X (Twitter) guide | |
| Public videos work. Private groups need cookies | Facebook guide | ||
| Same LinkedIn coverage as yt-dlp; cookies have to be imported on the phone | LinkedIn guide | ||
| Takes a Reddit link from the share sheet and returns a file with sound | Reddit guide | ||
| Vimeo | Public videos supported | Vimeo guide | |
| Bilibili | Multi-part collections work. Premium (Big Member) content needs cookies | Bilibili guide | |
| VK | Covers both video and audio | VK guide | |
| Dailymotion | Reliable support | Dailymotion guide | |
| 1,790+ other sites | Same as the yt-dlp support list | - |
What Seal downloads, where it runs, and bulk support
Three tables, three questions: what it grabs, where you run it, and how much at once.
| Content type | Yes | Formats and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Video | MP4 / WEBM / MKV. FFmpeg is built in, so you get high-res with sound directly | |
| Audio | Can extract just the audio track as MP3 / M4A / OPUS, with cover art and metadata written in | |
| Photos | Can download cover images. It is not an image downloader | |
| Captions / subs | Subtitles can be downloaded. Editing them on a phone is awkward, so this is mostly for archiving |
| Access | Yes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Download online | No web version | |
| Browser extension | No extension | |
| Desktop app | On desktop, use Stacher or yt-dlp | |
| Mobile app | Android only. For iOS, see What actually works on iOS | |
| API / scripting | No API |
| Granularity | Yes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One link at a time | The basics. The system share menu is fastest | |
| Several links at once | Send them in one after another and the download queue runs them in order | |
| A whole playlist | Expands into a list of items, and you tick the ones you want | |
| A whole channel / profile | It can grab them, but big batch jobs on a phone are hit by background limits and battery drain. Not recommended |
"Bulk" means different things on different tools' sites: some mean pasting several links at once, some mean a whole playlist, some mean an ongoing channel subscription. The table above splits these three levels out to avoid confusion. More in Best picks for bulk downloads.
Why we picked Seal
What it does well, including who shouldn't bother. Point 4 below is its weak spot.
The only way to get desktop-level power on a phone
yt-dlp is underneath, so site coverage, quality and subtitles are not watered down. Before this, the only route on a phone was an online tool in the browser, and the gap in experience is huge.
- Covers 1,800+ sites, same as the desktop
- FFmpeg built in, so high-res with sound works out of the box
- Runs on your phone with a residential IP, for a higher YouTube success rate
- Advanced users can write yt-dlp flag templates directly
The share menu beats copy and paste
See a video in any app, tap Share and pick Seal. No switching to a browser, no hunting for the address bar, no dealing with "Copy link" buttons that sit in a different spot in every app.
- Takes links straight from the share menu
- Has a download queue, so you can drop in several in a row
- Audio extraction writes in cover art and metadata, handy for building a podcast library
- Finished downloads go straight into your gallery or file manager
Open source, no ads, free
Most downloader apps in the app stores are stuffed with ads, some even bundle other software. Seal is open source and auditable, distributed through F-Droid (built from source), with no ads and no in-app purchases.
- Zero ads, zero in-app purchases, no account
- Public source code you can audit
- F-Droid builds from source, so builds are reproducible
- The bundled engine updates separately, so it recovers fast when something breaks
Who shouldn't bother
The main limits are the platform and the distribution channels.
- Android only, nothing at all for iOS
- You have to turn on "install unknown apps" manually
- Content that needs a login requires passing cookies, which is a pain on a phone
- Big batch jobs are hit by background limits and battery drain, the desktop does better
Seal pros and cons
- yt-dlp underneath, covering 1,800+ sites
- FFmpeg built in, high-res files with sound out of the box
- Takes links from the system share menu, the fewest steps of any option
- Open source, no ads, no in-app purchases
- Runs on your phone with a residential IP, beating online tools on YouTube success rate
- Audio extraction can write in cover art and metadata
- Android only, no iOS version
- You need to allow installing apps from unknown sources
- Passing cookies for login-only content is very awkward on a phone
- Big batch jobs are limited by the system's background restrictions
- No API, so it cannot plug into automation workflows
Seal FAQ
Is there a similar app for iOS?
No. iOS does not let apps bundle and run a runtime like this, and App Store review policy does not accept downloader apps either, so there will be no iOS version of Seal.
On iOS you usually have two routes: use Shortcuts to call an online service's API, or use a pop-up-free online tool like Cobalt.tools right in Safari. For the details, see What actually works on iOS.
Why isn't it on Google Play? Is it safe to install?
Google Play is strict with downloader apps, and apps like this often get pulled after they are listed, so the project distributes through F-Droid and GitHub Releases instead.
On safety, F-Droid builds it from the public source code itself, which is more reproducible than downloading an APK directly, so it is the recommended channel. Whatever you do, do not download it from third-party APK aggregator sites. Those packages are often re-signed and loaded with ads or worse.
How is it related to Stacher?
There is no direct relationship, but the idea is the same: both are GUI front ends for yt-dlp, one on Android and one on the desktop.
So what they can do is nearly identical, with site coverage and format selection coming from the same engine. Seal on your phone, Stacher on your computer is a pretty natural combo.
Can it download TikTok without a watermark?
Yes. yt-dlp requests the source stream without the watermark overlay first. With the share menu, tap Share in the TikTok app, pick Seal, and it is done in seconds.
If you want to export every video from an account, a phone is not a great place to do it (background limits, battery, storage). Use Easy TikTok Video Downloader or yt-dlp on a computer instead.
Where are downloads saved, and will they fill up my phone?
By default they go to the shared Downloads or Movies folder, visible in both your gallery and file manager. You can change the path in settings.
Video takes a lot of space: ten minutes of 1080p is a few hundred MB, and 4K gets into GB territory. In settings, set the default quality to 1080p and only go higher when you really need it. If you want the content and not the picture, just use audio extraction.
Seal alternatives worth a look
If Seal is not the right fit, these are the usual next stops.
Stacher
The desktop equivalent, also a GUI front end for yt-dlp, with more complete queue management.
When to switch? You have a lot to download and need long batch runs. The desktop is far more reliable than a phone for that.
Read the Stacher reviewyt-dlp
The original form, with full control over every flag, scripting and incremental updates.
When to switch? You want automation, scheduled grabs, or precise control over every stream.
Read the yt-dlp reviewCobalt.tools
A clean mobile web experience with no pop-ups, and it works on iOS too.
When to switch? You use an iPhone, or you do not want to install an app. The trade-off is no bulk downloads and fewer quality options.
Read the Cobalt.tools reviewclipr.bot
A general-purpose extension with broad site coverage, one-click downloads in a desktop browser.
When to switch? You mostly work in a desktop browser and do not want to install a standalone app.
Read the clipr.bot review
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