SurFast Video Downloader Helper User Guide

This document covers everything on how to use the SurFast Video Downloader Helper effectively and includes common FAQs to help you get the most out of the video downloader extension.

How to Let SurFast Video Downloader Helper Work

The SurFast Video Downloader Helper is a companion extension for the SurFast Video Downloader desktop app. It cannot work independently and requires the desktop app to function properly in order to download videos from YouTube or other websites.

With both the SurFast Video Downloader app and the Helper extension installed on your computer, you can get the most out of both tools. More specifically, you can:

  • Download videos (including private videos and live streams), audio (music, podcast, and more), thumbnails, and subtitles from over 1,000 sites
  • Download videos to MP4, WebM, AVI, FLV, MOV, MKV, or GIF
  • Save videos in any resolution between 128p to 8K
  • Download audio in MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OPUS, or OGG
  • Save audio in 128kbps, 256kbps, or 320kbps
  • Trim and download video/audio
  • Download playlists, albums, and channels

You can safely download and install SurFast Video Downloader on your PC or Mac by clicking one of the buttons below.

Download for Win
Download for Mac

How to Use SurFast Video Downloader Helper

After successfully installing both SurFast Video Downloader and SurFast Video Downloader Helper on your computer, you can now download videos, audio, thumbnails, and subtitles from all supported sites, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Important Note:

When using SurFast Video Downloader Helper for the first time to download videos, audio, or other supported content, you’ll need to grant a few permissions to ensure smooth downloads.

1. After right-clicking a video or audio file and selecting Download via SurFast Video Downloader, a browser pop-up will appear asking if you want to open the SurFast Video Downloader app. To avoid seeing this prompt again for the same site, check the box that says “Always allow www.example.com to open links of this type in the associated app“, then click “Open surfast video downloader.exe.” (This message will reappear each time you download content from a new website for the first time.)

2. Once you’ve opened the app, a notification will appear confirming that the extension has added a new download task. You can choose “Download and Don’t Show Again” so future downloads start automatically.

3. After the download completes, go to SurFast Video Downloader Helper > Recent Downloads, and click the folder icon to locate the file. The first time you do this, your browser will ask for permission to open the app, check the “Always allow” option, and click “Open SurFast Video Downloader.” This will prevent the pop-up from appearing in the future, and clicking the folder icon will directly open the app where you can preview your downloaded files.

How to Download Videos from Websites

While downloading videos from the internet, SurFast Video Downloader Helper enables you to save videos in formats such as MP4, WebM, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, or GIF, and in resolutions ranging from 144p to 8K. You can choose the format and resolution that best suit your needs.

To download an online video:

  1. Click SurFast Video Downloader Helper from Chrome’s toolbar.
  2. Click the gear icon and enable video download.
  3. Set the video output settings.
  4. Visit the target website and find the video you want to download.
  5. Right-click the video and choose Download via SurFast Video Downloader.
  6. Check the video in the Recent Downloads panel.

How to Download Audio

You can download music, podcasts, and more from audio streaming sites using SurFast Video Downloader Helper. It allows you to save audio in formats such as MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OPUS, or OGG, and in quality levels of 128kbps, 256kbps, or 320kbps.

To download audio:

  1. Go to SurFast Video Downloader Helper > Global Settings > Audio.
  2. Check Download Audio and set the output quality and format.
  3. Find the audio file you want to save and right-click it to choose Download with SurFast Video Downloader.
  4. After the audio download is complete, switch to Recent Downloads and click the folder icon to check the file.

Note: If you are unable to download an audio file by right-clicking it, you can copy the link and paste it into the SurFast Video Downloader app to download the file.

How to Convert a Video to Audio

You can also convert videos to MP3, WAV, or other supported audio formats to extract audio directly from them. This allows you to easily convert YouTube videos, TikTok clips, and more into MP3 files.

To convert a video link to audio:

  1. Go to SurFast Video Downloader Helper > Settings.
  2. Make sure to uncheck the Download Video option in the Video settings and switch to the Audio tab.
  3. Select Download Audio and customize the output format and quality according to your preference.
  4. Find and right-click the video you want to convert and choose Download via SurFast Video Downloader.
  5. After the download is complete, go to Recent Downloads to check the audio file.

How to Download Video Thumbnails and Audio Covers

With the SurFast Video Downloader Helper extension, you can only download thumbnails or covers along with the videos or audio files. If you want to download thumbnails or covers separately, you can use the SurFast Video Downloader app. The thumbnails or covers will be saved in the format and quality provided by the original website.

To download a video thumbnail or audio cover:

  1. Go to SurFast Video Downloader Helper and click Settings.
  2. To download a video thumbnail, go to Video, check Download Video, and select Download Thumbnail. To save an audio cover, go to Audio, select Download Audio, and check Include Cover.
  3. Right-click the video or audio file and choose Download via SurFast Video Downloader.
  4. Go to Recent Downloads and click the folder icon to check the downloaded files.

How to Download Video Subtitles

With SurFast Video Downloader Helper, you can easily download subtitles embedded in videos or automatically generated by the platform. When downloading subtitles, you are presented with three flexible options:

Save Subtitles as a File – Export subtitles separately in your preferred format. Add Subtitle Track – Attach external subtitles to the video for easy switching during playback. Embed Subtitles into Video – Burn subtitles directly into the video so they appear permanently in every frame.

Additionally, when saving subtitles, you can choose your preferred language (if available) and file format, including SRT, VTT, LRC, and ASS. This gives you full control over how and where your subtitles are used.

To download subtitles:

  1. Go to SurFast Video Downloader > Settings > Subtitle.
  2. Check Download Subtitle and select the output options.
  3. Find the target video and right-click it to choose Download via SurFast Video Downloader.
  4. After the download is complete, go to Recent Downloads to check the file.

How to Customize Output Settings for a Specific Site

By default, the global settings in SurFast Video Downloader Helper apply to all websites, ensuring a consistent downloading experience across platforms. However, if you want to set different output preferences for a specific site, such as choosing a preferred download content, video format, or audio quality, you can easily configure site-specific settings.

To customize output settings for a particular website:

  1. Visit SurFast Video Downloader Helper from the browser’s toolbar.
  2. Click the gear icon with the plus sign to add a custom setting.
  3. Select the newly added setting and customize the download settings according to your preferences.
  4. Click Add to include the website or websites you want these settings to apply to.

When you download content from the specified sites, it will follow the customized download settings.

How to Manually Install SurFast Video Downloader Helper

If you encounter issues downloading or installing the SurFast Video Downloader Helper from the Chrome Web Store, or if you prefer to install extensions manually for security or customization reasons, you can follow the steps below to manually install the video downloader extension.

  1. Download SurFast Video Downloader Helper to your computer.
  2. Find the downloaded file and unzip it.
  3. Go to Chrome > Customize and control Google Chrome (three-dot icon) > Extensions > Manage Extensions.
  4. Enable Developer mode and click Load unpacked. Then select the video downloader and click Select Folder.
  5. Click the Extensions icon in Chrome’s toolbar, then pin SurFast Video Downloader Helper to the extensions area for quick access.