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Main Interface and Feature Areas

XiaDown’s main interface consists of feature areas, a sidebar, a content area, and an activity area. Each feature area remembers its current page, so you can continue browsing where you left off after switching back.

Click the account area in the lower-left corner, then choose from the pop-up menu:

  • Library: downloads, tasks, files, and App Sessions.
  • Sniffing: sniffing sessions, filters, and resource lists.
  • Music: YouTube Music and local music.
  • YouTube: video browsing and playback.
  • RSS: subscriptions and the reader.

The current feature area shows a selection mark, and the sidebar updates with it.

The sidebar switches between pages in the current feature area. For example, the Library includes Running, App Sessions, All, Tasks, Video, and Audio; Music switches between online and local content; and RSS can filter by content type, favorites, or subscription.

The + button at the bottom of the main interface has three entries:

Entry Purpose
New Download Paste a video or media link for yt-dlp to parse and download.
New Transcode Select a local file and convert it with FFmpeg.
New Sniff Choose a browser and launch mode, then visit the target page in the opened browser.

These entries are available in every feature area. All resulting tasks appear in the Library.

The sidebar shows active downloads, transcodes, sniffing sessions, and playback. Select an activity to view its details. Stop and cancel actions change the current task or session, so confirm that you no longer need it before proceeding.

The account area in the lower-left corner also provides Settings, Documentation, update notices, and Library Access. Website sign-in is managed through App Sessions in the Library.