If you have been using third-party tools, browser extensions, or scripts to download "private" videos from ThisVid and they have recently stopped working, this is due to a "patch" or update implemented by the site administrators.
Here is a breakdown of what changed, why the tools are failing, and the current reality of downloading this content.
Most video sites, including ThisVid, do not host simple .mp4 files that you can right-click and save. Instead, they use a streaming protocol called HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) . When you watch a private video, your browser receives a .m3u8 playlist file. This file contains chunks of the video (.ts files) and a temporary access token.
The old method for downloading private videos:
Why it worked: The server was trusting your browser’s session ID to access the chunks. If you copied that session ID to another tool, the server said, "Oh, you're the same user. Here are the private chunks."
The patch does not affect the original file. If you uploaded the private video:
If you are not the uploader, you cannot do this.
Downloading private videos without permission may result in:
Yes, but the window is narrow, technical, and strictly for personal archival.
Disclaimer: The following methods only work if you are already authorized to view the video (i.e., you uploaded it, or the owner added you as a friend). Attempting to bypass privacy for videos you do not have permission to view violates ThisVid’s Terms of Service and may be illegal in your jurisdiction.
A few niche forum posts suggest that using a live browser session with yt-dlp (the updated fork of youtube-dl) still works if you export your entire browser cookie jar.
The command (updated for 2024):
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome --referer "https://thisvid.com/video/12345/" "URL_OF_THE_VIDEO_PAGE"
Why this might work: By using --cookies-from-browser, you send the exact same headers, JS tokens, and session data that your browser uses. ThisVid cannot distinguish between you watching the video and you saving it via yt-dlp if the tool mimics a browser perfectly.
Note: This works roughly 30% of the time, depending on how recently ThisVid updated their anti-bot scripts. Check the yt-dlp GitHub issues page for the latest flags.
