Alternative method for YouTube subscriptions import (brand accounts)

[TiberiumFusion]

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New: #8118 (comment)

Google takeout appears broken as of writing this and does not include a subscriptions.csv file or any subscription data for that matter. The only items it is willing to export are watch and search history. All other requested items are ignored. Perhaps this is some a/b test or simply another wise decision from big brother.

Obviously, this is an issue with Google and not NewPipe. However, this does mean it is impossible to import my subscriptions into NewPipe in an automated way and is effectively preventing me from finding a new home with this fantastic app. I would prefer if NewPipe provided a tool for transferring subscriptions, possibly similar to how Vanced uses MicroG. The horrible takeout service with its always changing and always breaking formats is not ideal, and while I can't imagine gms or the YT api is much better, at least it actually provides the requested data.

Thanks for your consideration.

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[9SMTM6]

I've just done an export for new pipe, got here due to other issues. My export contained a subscriptions.csv, I also looked at its contents and it seems to contain the required information.

I am in living Germany if that's relevant.

EDIT: And the import worked

[Madic-]

Can confirm. My export does not include a CSV. Even a full YouTube export does not include it. And I am living in germany

[LSeelig]

My export includes the cover but still doesn't work.

[Qubits01]

I got a subscriptions.csv extracted, looks like all info is there but import fails.
Edit: I saved it to google drive. This was the problem. The file needs to be locally on the device.

I also got the error at first with only the watch&search history.
My youtube account is a so called "brand account" that is linked to my google/email account, but they are 2 different acounts. You cannot access this account from the newpipe app i think.

Goto the youtube web page (I used a desktop PC) click on the top right circle to access your brand account and export the data from there. Then transfer to phone.

[TiberiumFusion]

Goto the youtube web page (I used a desktop PC) click on the top right circle to access your brand account and export the data from there. Then transfer to phone.

This solved the issue for me. When I used the link provided by the NewPipe instructions, I got the worthless takeout export with only watch and search history. When I manually navigated through the menus, starting at youtube.com, the takeout worked as intended and included the data I expected. I went to youtube.com, clicked on my avatar in the top-right, then "Your data in YouTube", then "More" under "Your YouTube dashboard", then finally "Download YouTube data". This led to a takeout screen which looked identical to the one provided by the link in NewPipe, however, the data export worked this time. I received a subscriptions.csv file which NewPipe imported successfully.

My youtube account is a so called "brand account" that is linked to my google/email account, but they are 2 different acounts. You cannot access this account from the newpipe app i think.

Thanks for mentioning this. I had completely forgotten about that conundrum. It's probably why the export didn't work for me. People who are still wet behind the ears in Google's eyes created their youtube accounts after the YouTube One thing in 2013, which means they only have a single, unified Google account for all Google-controlled services and not an actual YouTube account. The rest of us with Google accounts created in 2012 and earlier have distinct YouTube accounts that are linked to, but not the same as, our Google accounts, which are now called "brand accounts". Google has been constantly changing their sites and apps over the last 9 years to hide the truth of this dichotomy as much as possible, but it still exists.

It seems that the takeout link provided by the NewPipe app probably only works for people who created their Google account in 2013 or later. When I used that link, the takeout page was looking at my Google account, not my YouTube account, which would explain why all the important data was missing.

I recommend NewPipe update their app with instructions that work for everyone, not just newbies to Google. You can still create new "brand accounts" as of today, so it would be wise to include instructions for everyone using one, both old and new.

[nerdguy1338]

I just discovered this issue last night. Thanks so much! My data is safely exported from my brand account!

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