[Request] Plugin Support

[seniorm0ment]

Requesting support for community plugins, where users can develop plugins that users can choose to install to customize their experience. Such as SponsorBlocker for example, themes, modifications, etc. (Obviously requiring some kind of set developing guidelines to not stray from the base ideaology of the app and to avoid breakimg stuff.)

So people who want these features can get them quicker without having to resort to implementation directly into the app. They will be choice installed instead of bloating for people who don't want them.

[pawlosck]

Referring to issue https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/issues/3171, I think, NewPipe should support plugins. Except some controversial reasons (e.g request to stream porn websites) , plugin support should give a lot of benefits.

Advantages:

• posibility to faster adding new streaming services
• faster and easier fixing of streaming-related bugs (don't need to recompile main app)
• fix don't need programming knowledge (probably)
• possibility to stream movies/music from non standard streaming services. I mean, to stream from services like google drive, or nextcloud/owncloud with authorisation

Disadvantages:

• probably a lot of time to implement it

[Zehra]

The following issues opened appear to related: #2803, #1321

In most cases with plug-ins, the following advantages would be provided:

• Increased user safety and privacy.
• Less data usage. (Especially for mobile devices.)
• Less storage usage. (Only install services needed.)
• Time savings.(Only a single app vs multiple apps and interfaces to use/learn.)
• Support for sites and content not likely to be supported by app. (Wikimedia, Internet Archive..etc)
• Encourages and simplifies the switch to free and open-source software.

[aaferrari]

As far as adding/supporting new sites is concerned, Mihon (Tachiyomi fork) has an extension system for downloading manga from different sites as well as Cloudstream for different streaming sites. Perhaps the source code of these applications could be used as a basis or reference to implement a plugin system.

Although to avoid potential problems, maybe the ideal would be, at most, to maintain a repository of "approved/verified plugins" (where there would only be conventional sites such as Odysee, Dailymotion, Vimeo, among others) but at the same time leaving the possibility of that the user installs plugins from repositories maintained by third parties.

That way the developers of NewPipe could wash their hands since they would not have control over what users do or don't do with external plugins and the problems they have with them, in addition to avoiding/dismissing eventual complaints like the one Invidious received a year ago.