Tired of downloaders that start free and then ask for a key, a subscription or a donation screen once they get popular? FREE Media Downloader promises none of that, and it leans on yt-dlp, the open-source download tool, for the hardest sites.
How it works
Share a post from any app or browser, or copy a URL and run the shortcut. Videos and photos land in Photos and audio lands in Files. There’s no account, no key file and no Pro screen.
Different sites take different routes. YouTube, YouTube Music and Instagram go through yt-dlp running inside a-Shell mini (or the full a-Shell app), which is why one of those apps is required. Instagram files come down as the original, without a watermark overlay, and TikTok videos come off the watermark when the source allows it. Threads posts resolve straight from the post page without signing in. X, Bluesky and Mastodon get a second extractor if the first one misses.
Version 1.7 followed two releases, 1.6 and 1.6.1, that broke some downloads and were pulled. It restored Facebook reels, made TikTok photo slideshows save the photos instead of the song, and added Reddit share links and Mastodon posts from any server.
Supported sources
- YouTube, YouTube Music, Instagram (through yt-dlp)
- TikTok, including photo slideshows
- X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
- Facebook, Reddit, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat
- Vimeo, Dailymotion, SoundCloud
How to install
Install a-Shell mini or a-Shell from the App Store. Either works.
How to use it
Open a post, tap Share and choose FREE Media Downloader, then wait a moment. You can rename the shortcut in the Shortcuts app if the name looks loud in your Share Sheet.
Expect a handful of one-time prompts: the first save to Photos, the first save to Files, the first a-Shell mini run, and possibly network access when yt-dlp installs. Approve each once and they won’t come back.
Where saved files go
Photos and videos go to your Photos library, and audio is saved to Files. To check your version, open the shortcut in the editor; the comment at the top shows it.
Troubleshooting
A YouTube or Instagram link does nothing. Make sure a-Shell mini or a-Shell is installed, since those sites rely on it.
A post behind a login fails. Open it in the native app or your browser, sign in, then share it again. Advanced users can place a Netscape cookies.txt in a-Shell mini’s Documents folder for yt-dlp to use.
A text-only Threads post saves nothing. There’s no media to download in it.
Quick answers
Will it stay free?
The author says it always will, with no paywall planned. Donations might be requested someday, but nothing will lock features.
Can it download private posts?
Private and deleted posts fail when the site refuses the file. Only content you can open is available.
First time adding a shortcut from a website? Here's what each prompt means.
