Can You Share A Video, But Only For Viewing, No Download?

[flobadob]

Is there any way to share a video that will let people watch it, but not let them download it themselves?

[Buenchico]

Not in practice. There are always ways of getting around any restrictions that are meant to block the downloading of videos. For example, the BBC doesn't officially allow its news videos to be saved to people's hard drives but simply using Firefox with the Ant Video Downloader extension installed gets around that. (The same method works with most other websites that host video content too. If it doesn't, there are alternative methods that can then be tried).

[barry1010]

No

[Stickybottle]

Maybe put it on Instagram or Tik Tok ?

[JimF]

That won't help either, I'm afraid. As Chris explains, in order to display a video, as with any other on-line content, it needs to be downloaded to your device. It's pretty much the same with anything on the Internet.

[Stickybottle]

But at least if it is on social media there is the opportunity to view it
We need more context from the OP
Is it a family video or similar ?
What is it you want others to view exactly ?

[barry1010]

If there were a way to do it there would be no piracy

[woofgang]

Very basically, if anybody has two devices all they need to do is set it running on one device and video it on the other. If you set it up carefully then the quality can be quite good.....or so I am told. :)

[JimF]

How would people view it, though?

[barry1010]

Many ways to share a video, Jim - put it on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook; send a link for Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive.

[JimF]

You're missing the point. In order to view something on YouTube, you need to go to YouTube and "play" it. That playing action actually downloads the video to your local storage, in a temporary folder usually. There is no way round this.

[barry1010]

You asked how a video could be viewed, I answered. I have already said it is impossible to stop downloading it

[Spicerack]

Put it on a self destructing tape and send it through the post.

[flobadob]

Thanks for the answers. It's just a video from years ago when we were younger, that someone sent me, but they don't want it getting out to too many people.

I wanted to show a few friends it, who are in it, but I don't want to upset the owner, so I'll just leave it.

[Stickybottle]

Have you tried sending it to recipients via Snapchat ?
Provided they have the app of course