The latest articles on DEV Community by Mehmet Ali akdaş (@mehmet_aliakda_87bffee5). https://dev.to/mehmet_aliakda_87bffee5 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4025082%2F0bcbb2b1-a2eb-4a73-be86-58c754dfa9ab.png https://dev.to/mehmet_aliakda_87bffee5 en Mehmet Ali akdaş Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:11:47 +0000 https://dev.to/mehmet_aliakda_87bffee5/i-got-tired-of-sketchy-downloader-sites-so-i-built-my-own-with-python-a-chrome-extension-e0f https://dev.to/mehmet_aliakda_87bffee5/i-got-tired-of-sketchy-downloader-sites-so-i-built-my-own-with-python-a-chrome-extension-e0f <p>Hello fellow developers! 👋</p> <p>Like many of you, I consume a lot of content across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. But whenever I wanted to download a video or an audio clip for offline use or editing, I had to deal with sketchy websites filled with pop-under ads, or browser extensions that felt like malware.</p> <p>This weekend, I decided I had enough. I fired up my IDE and built my own solution.</p> <p>Enter <strong>ALİDWD</strong> — an open-source, ad-free desktop media downloader built with Python, paired with its own custom Chrome extension.</p> <h3> 🛠️ The Tech Stack </h3> <ul> <li> <strong>Backend/GUI:</strong> Python &amp; PyQt5</li> <li> <strong>Engine:</strong> <code>yt-dlp</code> (The absolute goat) and anonymous APIs for TikTok.</li> <li> <strong>Frontend (Extension):</strong> Vanilla JavaScript &amp; CSS (Manifest V3)</li> <li> <strong>Database:</strong> SQLite (for download history)</li> </ul> <h3> ✨ What Makes It Different? </h3> <p>I didn't want just another GUI wrapper. I wanted it to be incredibly fast and integrated into my workflow. Here are the features I’m most proud of:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>Browser Injection (Chrome Extension):</strong> Once installed, it injects a tiny, non-intrusive download button directly into the DOM of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. You click it, and the desktop app downloads the media silently in the background.</li> <li> <strong>Global Hotkey Magic:</strong> You can assign a hotkey (e.g., <code>D</code>). If you're watching an Instagram Story or a YouTube Short, just press <code>D</code> on your keyboard, and the video is instantly downloaded. No mouse movement required!</li> <li> <strong>Smart Foldering:</strong> It doesn't dump everything into your <code>Downloads</code> folder. It parses the URL and automatically organizes files. For example, if you download a TikTok video, it creates a folder like <code>TikTok/@username</code> and saves it there.</li> <li> <strong>Library &amp; History:</strong> A built-in SQLite database tracks everything you download, accessible via a neat Library tab in the UI.</li> </ol> <h3> 📦 Try It Out! </h3> <p>The project is completely open-source and free. If you don't want to mess with the code, I also compiled a ready-to-use <code>.exe</code> setup file using PyInstaller and Inno Setup.</p> <p>🔗 <strong>[<a href="https://github.com/vxcvcxv/T-m-siteler-Video-Downloader.git" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/vxcvcxv/T-m-siteler-Video-Downloader.git</a>]</strong></p> <p>I would love to hear your thoughts on this! If you find any bugs, have feature requests, or want to contribute to the codebase, feel free to open an issue or a PR. </p> <p>What is your go-to method for downloading media right now? Let's discuss in the comments! 👇</p> programming opensource python devops