Paste a link to download.
Under the link box
What it means
Download was pressed with nothing in the box.
What to do
Copy a link from your browser and paste it with Ctrl+V. Ctrl+L jumps to the box.
Link to this →Downloader / Help
What did it say? 
Paste it here.
Every message Podalls Downloader shows, word for word, with what it means and what to do. Paste the one you saw, or browse them below.
Paste the message
Try
Its meaning and the fix show up here.
Messages
Under the link box
- This is not a web address or magnet link.
Under the link box
What it means
What was pasted is not a link: often a page title, a search, or a link with a space in it.
What to do
Copy the address from the browser’s address bar, or right-click the download link and choose Copy link.
Link to this → - … links are not supported; use http, https or magnet.
Under the link box
What it means
The link starts with something other than http, https or magnet, such as ftp: or file:.
What to do
Look for an http or https version of the link on the site you got it from.
Link to this → - This magnet link has no torrent hash (xt=urn:btih:…).
Under the link box
What it means
The magnet link is cut short: the part that identifies the torrent is missing.
What to do
Copy the whole magnet link again. It should contain xt=urn:btih: followed by a long code.
Link to this → - This web address has no site name.
Under the link box
What it means
The link has no website in it, for example https:///file.zip.
What to do
Copy the link again from its page.
Link to this → - Links with a user name or password in them are not supported.
Under the link box
What it means
The link has a sign-in written into it, like https://name:secret@example.com/.
What to do
Download it from your browser, where you can sign in to the site properly.
Link to this → - This link is too long.
Under the link box
What it means
More than 16,000 characters were pasted, usually a whole page rather than one link.
What to do
Copy just the link.
Link to this →
Messages
On a download that failed
- The server answered … (for example 404 Not Found).
Under a Failed download
What it means
The website refused the file. 404 means it is not there any more; 403 means you are not allowed to fetch it directly; 5xx means the site itself has a problem.
What to do
For 404, find a fresh link on the page. For 403, the link may only work from your browser, where you are signed in. For 5xx, Retry later.
Link to this → - Could not connect to the server. (…)
Under a Failed download
What it means
The site did not answer at all: no internet, a typo in the address, or a network that blocks it. The part in brackets says which.
What to do
Check that the site opens in your browser, then Retry.
Link to this → - The server stopped answering. (…)
Under a Failed download
What it means
Nothing arrived for a full minute, or the server took more than 15 seconds to accept the connection.
What to do
Retry. On an unreliable connection, try again when it is steadier: downloads cannot resume yet.
Link to this → - The connection closed early: … of … bytes arrived.
Under a Failed download
What it means
The server hung up before sending the whole file. The partial file was removed, so nothing broken is left.
What to do
Retry. If it keeps stopping at the same point, the site may be limiting downloads.
Link to this → - The link redirects too many times. (…)
Under a Failed download
What it means
The link sent the app on more than ten times without reaching a file.
What to do
Open the link in your browser and copy the address of the file it finally downloads.
Link to this → - Could not save the file: …
Under a Failed download
What it means
Windows would not let the app write to the save folder: a full disk, a removed drive, or a folder you cannot write to.
What to do
Free some space, or choose another folder under Settings › Saving, then Retry.
Link to this → - The connection failed. (…)
Under a Failed download
What it means
Something else went wrong on the way; the part in brackets names it, often a secure-connection problem.
What to do
Check the PC’s date and time are right, then Retry.
Link to this →
Messages
Video downloads
- Video download failed: …
In 0.1.0:
YouTube download failed: …
Under a Failed video download
What it means
The video site refused the video, and the rest of the message is its reason: private, removed, members-only, age-restricted or not available in your country.
What to do
Check the video plays in your browser without signing in. If many videos fail at once, the site has changed something: update the app, since each release brings the newest yt-dlp.
Link to this → - Video downloads need yt-dlp, which is not installed with this copy of the app.
In 0.1.0:
YouTube downloads need yt-dlp, which is not installed with this copy of the app.
Under a Failed video download
What it means
The yt-dlp folder beside the app is missing or was blocked, often by antivirus.
What to do
Install Podalls Downloader again: Setup puts yt-dlp back. Settings › Video tools shows it as Installed.
Link to this → - FFmpeg: Missing: up to 720p
Settings › Video tools
What it means
Without FFmpeg the picture and sound cannot be joined, so the best single file is saved instead, usually 720p.
What to do
Install the app again to put FFmpeg back. If FFmpeg shows Installed, the video simply has nothing sharper.
Link to this →
Messages
Magnet links
- Finding peers and the torrent’s details…
On a download that does not start
What it means
Nobody sharing this torrent has been found yet. With few people sharing it this can take a while; with nobody, it never starts.
What to do
Wait a few minutes, or Cancel and try later. Networks at work and school often block BitTorrent; try another network.
Link to this → - This torrent is already being downloaded.
Under a Failed download
What it means
The same magnet link was added twice while the first is still running.
What to do
Keep the first one; remove the failed copy with ×.
Link to this → - Could not start BitTorrent: …
Under a Failed download
What it means
The app’s BitTorrent session could not open a network port.
What to do
Restart the app. If Windows Firewall asked about Podalls Downloader and you chose Cancel, allow it under Windows Security › Firewall › Allow an app.
Link to this →
Messages
Browser button
- No Download button in the video player
In Chrome or Edge
What it means
The extension is not loaded, or the page is not a standard watch page: Shorts and players embedded on other sites are not supported yet.
What to do
In Settings › Browser button choose Show folder, then in Chrome or Edge open Extensions, turn on Developer mode, choose Load unpacked and select that folder. Reload the video tab.
Link to this → - Open Podalls Downloader?
In the browser, after clicking Download
What it means
The browser asks before it opens an app from a link. The link goes to the app’s box; nothing downloads until you press Download there.
What to do
Choose Open. The app opens, or its existing window comes forward with the link filled in.
Link to this → - The app link is missing or points to another copy. Enable it so the player button can open this app.
Settings › Browser button
What it means
Windows does not know that browser links should open this copy of the app, so clicking Download in the player does nothing.
What to do
Choose Enable app link (or Repair app link). No administrator password is needed. Then return to the browser and click Download again.
Link to this → - Could not enable the browser app link
Settings › Browser button
What it means
Windows kept another handler for browser links, often left behind by a different installation of the app.
What to do
Install this version of Podalls Downloader again, then choose Enable app link once more.
Link to this → - Extension files missing
Settings › Browser button
What it means
The browser-extension folder beside the app is missing.
What to do
Install this version of Podalls Downloader again: Setup puts the folder back.
Link to this →
Messages
Windows and Podalls Convert
- Windows protected your PC
When opening the installer
What it means
The installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen does not recognise it. It says nothing about what is inside.
What to do
Choose More info, check the app is Podalls Downloader, then Run anyway. The install guide shows every screen.
Link to this → - Windows Defender Firewall has blocked some features of this app
The first time you use a magnet link
What it means
BitTorrent lets other people connect to you, so Windows asks once.
What to do
Allow it on private networks. Without it, magnet downloads can still work, usually slower.
Link to this → - No Convert button on finished downloads
Beside Open, on a finished download
What it means
Podalls Convert was not found when the app started. The button only appears when it is installed.
What to do
Install Podalls Convert, then restart Podalls Downloader. Settings › Converting shows where it was found.
Link to this →
Still stuck?
- New here
- The install guide shows every screen, including the Windows warning.
- Not listed
- Send us the message: it goes straight to the people who build the app.