How to Manually Install Video Downloader One-for-All (Community Build)

The Chrome Web Store and Microsoft Edge Add-ons reviews each new release of Video Downloader One-for-All before it goes live. The review window is usually a day or two, but sometimes longer — and when you want the newest fix or feature right away, that wait can be annoying.

Our community build is the exact same release, published to GitHub as a downloadable ZIP at the moment the version ships. This guide walks through sideloading it in Chrome (and any Chromium-based browser like Brave, Vivaldi, Opera) or Microsoft Edge.

When to use the community build

You should pick the community build over the Web Store version when:

• A new release just shipped and you don’t want to wait for store review
• You want to test a specific version pinned to your machine
• The store version is unavailable in your region

Otherwise, stick with the Web Store version — it auto-updates, it’s signed by the store, and it’s the smoother experience for everyday use.

Download the community build

Releases are published on GitHub. Each release page lists two ZIP files — one for Chrome (and Chromium browsers) and one for Microsoft Edge.

→ Get the latest community release on GitHub

Pick the ZIP that matches your browser:

• powervideodownload-chrome-community-vX.Y.Z.zip — Chrome, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, Arc, and other Chromium-based browsers
• powervideodownload-edge-community-vX.Y.Z.zip — Microsoft Edge

Save the ZIP somewhere you’ll keep around — your Downloads folder is fine, but a dedicated folder like ~/Extensions/ is cleaner if you plan to keep multiple versions.

Step 1 — Unzip the package

Unlike Web Store installs, sideloaded extensions load directly from a folder on disk. The folder needs to stay where you put it — if you delete or move it, the extension stops working.

Unzip the file you downloaded. You should end up with a folder structure like:

powervideodownload-chrome-community-v1.1.29/
├── manifest.json
├── service-worker-loader.js
├── assets/
├── _locales/
├── ffmpeg/
└── src/

If you only see the ZIP file inside that folder, unzip it one more level — you need to land on the folder that contains manifest.json directly.

Step 2 — Open the extensions page

Open your browser’s extensions page:

• Chrome / Brave / Vivaldi / Opera — paste chrome://extensions in the address bar
• Microsoft Edge — paste edge://extensions in the address bar

You’ll see a list of every extension currently installed.

Step 3 — Enable Developer mode

Sideloading is gated behind a developer toggle so you don’t accidentally install an extension you didn’t mean to.

• Chrome / Chromium browsers — flip the Developer mode toggle in the top-right corner of the page
• Microsoft Edge — flip the Developer mode toggle in the bottom-left corner of the page

Three new buttons appear: Load unpacked, Pack extension, and Update.

Step 4 — Load the unpacked folder

Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder from Step 1 — the one that contains manifest.json.

The extension appears in your list immediately. Pin its icon to the toolbar if you want it visible:

1. Click the puzzle-piece icon in the browser toolbar
2. Find Video Downloader One-for-All in the popup
3. Click the pin icon next to it

Step 5 — Confirm it’s working

Open the extension popup and check that the version number shown matches the ZIP you downloaded. Visit any site with video — TikTok, Vimeo, Twitch — and confirm the popup detects videos as expected.

That’s the install done. You can now use the community build exactly like the Web Store version.

Updating later

Sideloaded extensions do not update automatically. When a new release drops on GitHub, you’ll need to:

1. Download the new ZIP from the releases page
2. Unzip it (you can overwrite the old folder, or use a new versioned folder)
3. On the chrome://extensions / edge://extensions page, click the circular arrow (update) icon next to the extension, or click Update at the top of the page

If you used a new folder for the new version, you’ll need to Remove the old extension entry and Load unpacked the new folder.

Tip: subscribe to the changelog RSS feed or watch the GitHub repo to get notified when new releases ship.

Troubleshooting

“Manifest file is missing or unreadable” — you selected the wrong folder. Make sure you point Load unpacked at the folder that contains manifest.json directly, not its parent folder.

Extension loads but doesn’t detect videos — reload the website tab after installing. Content scripts only attach to pages loaded after the extension is active.

Browser shows a “Disable developer mode extensions” warning every time it starts — this is normal Chrome behavior for any sideloaded extension. Closing the warning doesn’t uninstall the extension; it just dismisses the notice for the session.

Permission errors on macOS — if the unzipped folder lives inside ~/Downloads, move it to ~/Documents or another non-quarantined location. macOS sometimes blocks loading from ~/Downloads.

Switching back to the Web Store version

If you want to switch back later:

1. Remove the unpacked extension on the chrome://extensions / edge://extensions page
2. Install from the Chrome Web Store or Edge Add-ons

Your downloads, license key, and settings are stored independently of the install method, but moving between builds may require signing in to your account again.

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The community build exists so power users can stay on the bleeding edge without waiting for store review. For most people, the Web Store version is the right choice — it auto-updates, it’s signed, and it stays out of your way. Pick whichever matches how you actually use the extension.