[Bug]: Loading playlist with unavailable videos using Invidious backend breaks FreeTube

[Shadorc]

Guidelines

• I have encountered this bug in the latest release of FreeTube.
• I have encountered this bug in the official downloads of FreeTube. The only official downloads are from the https://freetubeapp.io website, the FreeTubeApp/FreeTube GitHub repository and the io.freetubeapp.FreeTube flatpak from Flathub.
• I have searched the issue tracker for open and closed issues that are similar to the bug report I want to file, without success.
• I have searched the documentation for information that matches the description of the bug I want to file, without success.
• This issue contains only one bug.
• I have read and agree to follow the rules.

Describe the bug

1. Set Preferred API Backend to Invidiou API
2. Set a valid Current Invidious Instance
3. Go to https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvMVt4c68EeXRV2R1fdieei9HwpuUKXKL
4. Scroll down until thumbails no longer load
5. Try to perform any other action in FreeTube (performing a search, going to a channel, a video...)
6. Observe that nothing loads

2026-08-10.12-34-24.mp4

Expected Behavior

FreeTube should continue to work normally

Issue Labels

content not loading

FreeTube Version

v0.25.1-beta

Operating System Version

Bazzite

Installation Method

Flathub

Primary API used

Invidious API

Last Known Working FreeTube Version (If Any)

No response

Upload screenshots or videos

No response

Additional Information

Reproducing the bug with Thumbnail Preference setting set to Hidden does not break. This seems to indicate that it's the thumbnails that are causing the bug.

When FreeTube breaks, the Invidious instance still responds to API requests made outside of FreeTube (curl, browser...). This seems to indicate that it's an issue with FreeTube more than Invidious.

Nightly Build

• I have encountered this bug in the latest official nightly build, do not check this box if you are using an unofficial or custom build.

[absidue]

Is there any way to detect those unavailable videos in the Invidious API response, as the best solution would be to filter them out during the parsing stage, so that it follows the behaviour that YouTube does automatically that Invidious bypasses. The only upside to keeping them around is that the numbering is more accurate, the downsides include the issues mentioned in this pull request as well as issues on the watch page, if we want to keep them around we would also need to make sure that all playlist and history management buttons are hidden for them and that they get filtered out while copying the playlits so people don't create broken entries in their FreeTube history and playlists.

[Shadorc]

It could easily be filtered, title and author are empty and authorId is null.
I agree that they should be filtered, this is what YouTube does by default, and there is no useful information other than the videoId.
If this is the approach chosen, the implementation made here would have to be re-tested, because it is currently based on the fact that Invidious returns all videos.

Example of JSON returned by Indivious API for an unavailable video:

{
    "type": "video",
    "title": "",
    "videoId": "-Ymb1rwUCbI",
    "author": "",
    "authorId": null,
    "authorUrl": "/channel/",
    "videoThumbnails": [
        {
            "quality": "maxres",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/maxres.jpg",
            "width": 1280,
            "height": 720
        },
        {
            "quality": "maxresdefault",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/maxresdefault.jpg",
            "width": 1280,
            "height": 720
        },
        {
            "quality": "sddefault",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/sddefault.jpg",
            "width": 640,
            "height": 480
        },
        {
            "quality": "high",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/hqdefault.jpg",
            "width": 480,
            "height": 360
        },
        {
            "quality": "medium",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/mqdefault.jpg",
            "width": 320,
            "height": 180
        },
        {
            "quality": "default",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/default.jpg",
            "width": 120,
            "height": 90
        },
        {
            "quality": "start",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/1.jpg",
            "width": 120,
            "height": 90
        },
        {
            "quality": "middle",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/2.jpg",
            "width": 120,
            "height": 90
        },
        {
            "quality": "end",
            "url": "/vi/-Ymb1rwUCbI/3.jpg",
            "width": 120,
            "height": 90
        }
    ],
    "index": 20,
    "lengthSeconds": 0,
    "liveNow": true,
    "published": 1786483516560
}