When it comes to articles, bookmark services have you covered. Pocket, Instapaper, and other such services save links to read later. But the internet loves to watch videos as much, if not more. And a lot gets thrown at you from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, or others.
While you can use Pocket itself to save videos, it's not the ideal service for it. There are specialist alternatives which let you save videos and watch them later. There is also your browser's own bookmarks. And finally, every video service offers to save videos for you anyway.
So I started looking for the best system to:
- Save videos to watch later.
- Save videos that I've already watched but want to go back to.
Save Videos on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram
You can use any video host's own bookmarking services to watch videos later. You will need to be logged in to use it though.
- For YouTube -- Click the "Watch Later" icon on any video to add it to your watchlist.
- For Vimeo -- Click the "Watch Later" icon on any video to add it to your watchlist.
- For Facebook -- Click the post's menu dropdown button and click "Save Video".
- For Instagram -- Tap the bookmark flag under any photo to save it.
Unfortunately, with this system, you will have videos saved in different places. There isn't one central place to watch and search them all.
Of these, Instagram is the only app which doesn't let you share or bookmark videos elsewhere. You can only use Instagram Bookmarks to save any videos.
Use this method to organize if... you like to keep videos separate and don't need a central app with all your favorites. You just want to be able to save videos easily and aren't concerned about organizing them.
What About IFTTT and Zapier?
Here at MakeUseOf, we are big fans of IFTTT and Zapier, the custom online automation services. I wanted to see if I could make a custom organizer by using the video host's bookmarking and IFTTT or Zapier.
Unfortunately, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Instagram, and others don't support automations via bookmarks. None of them feature a trigger based on adding a video to your watch later list. In fact, the YouTube app in Zapier explicitly states that it does not work with the Watch Later list, but works with all other playlists.
Using Browser Bookmarks
If you use the same browser everywhere, then you can sync browser bookmarks across devices. That is also a decent way to organize your video watching list.
The advantage of this method is that you will get a nested folder system, much like any default explorer. Also, browser bookmarks can be organized even if you are offline, unlike an app like Pocket. An important feature for many people is the ability to add notes to bookmarks in browsers, so you remember why you saved the video. And you can even use tags in Firefox and some browsers.
But the big disadvantage is how you use it on mobile devices. On a phone or tablet, you are more likely to watch videos in their own app, like the YouTube or Facebook app. You can't add that video to the browser's bookmarks then.
Use this method to organize if... you will add videos via desktop and not via your smartphone or tablet.
Specialized Video Bookmark Apps
Pocket is a good digital bookmarking service even for videos, but it's not as good as using a specialized app made for this. Eclips.io and Vookmark are the two main apps for this, although there are others like Zinc and OrganizeTube too.
Eclips.io: Bookmark Customized Clips or Whole Videos
- Supports -- YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter, and Vine.
- Available on -- Desktops (Google Chrome).
Eclips.io is limited only to desktops, much like using browser bookmarks. There are no mobile apps, nor any interface to watch the videos on mobile. The site's mobile version isn't particularly conducive for viewing.
This is the only video bookmarking that lets you choose the important part of the video. Anyone who watches videos and talks like TED knows how you often want to remember just one part of the video, not the whole thing. Instead of writing notes, saving a section of the video ensures you remember why you wanted to watch it.
Plus, Eclips.io has a search function to quickly find the video you're looking for. The app also functions as its own social network, so you can follow other users with similar interests.
Vookmark: Pocket for Videos
- Supports -- YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, DailyMotion, Reddit.
- Available on -- Desktops (Google Chrome, Safari), Android, iOS, Apple TV.
With Vookmark, you can save a video through a desktop browser or through mobile, as long as the video can be shared as a link. Vookmark will appear as an item in your mobile's Share menu. On desktops, you can install the extension on Google Chrome or any Chromium-based browser like Opera.
The app divides your saved videos into New, Watched, and Favorite. You don't lose your list this way, and you can easily find the videos you liked. The one big missing item, though, is a Search function to find any video.
Vookmark videos can be viewed on any mobile device, a desktop browser, or even an Apple TV.
Final Words
So what's the best system to organize videos? I'd vote for Vookmark as the best of all the Pocket alternatives I used, since it works across platforms.
Browser bookmarking can potentially be the best method if you are willing to make some sacrifices. Remove the YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion, and Facebook apps from your phone. Given Facebook's battery-draining and privacy-threatening app, it's advisable to use Facebook from a mobile browser anyway. If all your video-watching happens through a browser, then you'll be able to use browser bookmarks and organize them well.
Where Do You Watch Videos?
There is constant chatter among tech followers about the war between Facebook and YouTube. While Facebook enjoys the enviable position of being a social network, YouTube has been around for longer and used more liberally across the web.
Which of the two do you prefer to watch videos? Has Facebook become as important as YouTube for you?