One-time setup

Set up SmoothTube without making it a whole thing.

This takes a few minutes the first time. After that, SmoothTube remembers your settings on your Windows PC and you can just open the app.

Before you start

You are not creating a public app for other people. You are making a private set of keys so SmoothTube can talk to YouTube from your computer.

Create a small Google project

  1. Open Google Cloud Console.
  2. Create a new project and name it something clear, such as SmoothTube.
  3. Select that project before continuing.
  4. Open APIs & Services, then Library.
  5. Search for YouTube Data API v3 and enable it.

Create the API key

  1. Go to APIs & Services, then Credentials.
  2. Choose Create credentials, then API key.
  3. Copy the key and keep it private.
  4. Recommended: restrict the key so it can only use YouTube Data API v3.

The API key powers public video metadata, search, comments, channel information, and similar non-private requests through the YouTube Data API.

Add sign-in access for subscriptions

If you want subscriptions, playlists, rating state, or account-specific features, create OAuth desktop credentials too.

  1. Open the OAuth consent screen in Google Cloud Console.
  2. Fill the required app information. The name can be SmoothTube.
  3. If Google says the app is in testing, add your own Google account as a test user.
  4. Go back to Credentials and create an OAuth Client ID.
  5. Choose Desktop app as the application type.
  6. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret.

If Google shows a testing or unverified warning, that usually means you are using your own private credentials. Confirm it is your project, your account, and SmoothTube on your PC before continuing.

Enter the values in SmoothTube

  1. Open SmoothTube Settings.
  2. Paste the YouTube Data API key.
  3. Paste the OAuth Client ID and Client Secret if you created them.
  4. Save settings.
  5. Use Sign in with Google if you want account features.

SmoothTube stores secrets such as keys and tokens with Windows Credential Locker. Other app data, such as Continue Watching and preferences, stays in local Windows app storage.

Install the optional browser extension

The extension is separate from the Microsoft Store app. Install SmoothTube first so Windows has registered the app link protocol.

  1. Open the browser-extension repository and guide on GitHub, then download or clone it.
  2. Open edge://extensions in Microsoft Edge or chrome://extensions in Google Chrome.
  3. Turn on Developer mode and choose Load unpacked.
  4. Select the downloaded BrowserExtension folder.
  5. Open a YouTube video link and approve the browser's Open SmoothTube prompt.

The extension handles YouTube videos, Shorts, and livestreams. YouTube Music and other pages continue to open normally in the browser.

Why the setup is worth doing once

Using your own credentials means SmoothTube does not need to operate a central account service, collect your tokens, or ask you to trust another server with your YouTube access. It is a small setup cost in exchange for a cleaner privacy boundary.

Open troubleshooting