The official Microsoft Edge add‑on page carries a stark announcement: “Sorry to announce but Ant Video downloader is discontinued and will no longer be supported. Support is closed.” The same statement has been echoed elsewhere. The developer’s website (ant.com) and support pages remain online as of this writing, but no active development or updates have occurred since the last extension version (4.18) was released in February 2023.
The Native App is not required for the extension to function in all cases. However, many advanced features and support for modern streaming sites depend entirely on its presence. Without the Native App, the extension will still detect videos on many websites, but it will fail to download those that use segmented streaming and will often display the frustrating error message: “Native app is not available.”
You use Firefox or Chrome on any OS, you only need to save an occasional video, and you want a free, lightweight tool.
Recent reports from the indicate the extension may be discontinued or lack official support on certain platforms. If you encounter issues, consider these high-rated alternatives for 2026: 4K Video Downloader Plus : Best for high-res 8K content. ant video downloader native app
By pairing the browser extension with the native application, you unlock several advanced capabilities:
If you have used modern browser extensions, you have likely encountered a prompt asking you to install a separate "native app" or "companion application." This is not a gimmick; it is a technical necessity caused by changes in browser architecture. The Impact of WebExtensions API
: Download the installer directly from the official Ant website . The official Microsoft Edge add‑on page carries a
: Due to browser policies, the use of the native app is often disabled by default and must be enabled within the extension's privacy settings. Current Status and Critical Issues
If you installed the app but the browser still says it is missing, your browser's registry keys or policy folders might not have updated correctly.
Modern websites often break videos into hundreds of small, encrypted, or segmented files (DASH/HLS streams). Extensions struggle to merge these efficiently. The native app, powered by FFmpeg, merges these segments in real-time, delivering a single, high-quality video file. 2. Improved Reliability The Native App is not required for the
Open your browser (Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Google Chrome). Visit your browser's extension store. Search for and click Add to Browser . Step 2: Download the Native Installer
Writes downloaded data directly to your designated downloads folder.