No automatic import — set expectations first
FolderTube does not have an import feature that reads PocketTube's groups and recreates them. Migrating means manually creating folders in FolderTube and manually dragging channels into them, using your existing PocketTube groups as a reference list. Budget time for this proportional to how many groups and channels you have.
Why people consider switching
PocketTube and FolderTube solve the same core problem — grouping YouTube subscriptions into folders — but with different tradeoffs. Reasons people move from PocketTube to FolderTube tend to be specific, not general dissatisfaction:
- Sync without extra setup. FolderTube syncs your folder structure across devices automatically once you are signed in, on the free plan. PocketTube's cross-device sync relies on Chrome's built-in profile sync or an optional Google Drive connection, which some users would rather not configure.
- UI location. FolderTube opens as a panel from a purple button in YouTube's masthead, separate from YouTube's own sidebar. PocketTube integrates directly into YouTube's left sidebar. Which one you prefer is purely a matter of taste.
- Drag-and-drop is always on. In FolderTube, dragging a channel into a folder works by default. In PocketTube, drag-and-drop reordering is tied to its custom sort mode rather than being the default sort behavior.
- Flat, single-tier pricing. FolderTube's Premium plan unlocks every paid feature at once for $2.99/month, $19/year, or a $39 one-time lifetime purchase — no separate feature tiers to compare. PocketTube's paid features are gated behind a Patreon membership, a different payment model some users would rather avoid.
None of this means PocketTube is worse — it has real strengths of its own, including deeper configuration options and AI-assisted channel tagging that FolderTube does not have. See the full FolderTube vs PocketTube comparison if you have not made up your mind yet. This guide is for people who have already decided to try FolderTube.
Step-by-step migration
Step 1: Write down your current PocketTube structure
Open PocketTube and list every group name along with the channels in it. A plain text note or spreadsheet is enough — you just need something to work from while you rebuild, since you will be switching back and forth between the two extensions during migration.
Step 2: Install FolderTube and sync your subscriptions
- Install FolderTube from the Chrome Web Store.
- Open YouTube and click the purple FolderTube button in the top-right of the page to open the sidebar.
- Sign in and press the Sync button to pull in your subscribed channels — this is the same subscription list PocketTube is organizing, since both extensions read from your actual YouTube subscriptions.
Step 3: Recreate your folder structure
Using the list from Step 1, create matching top-level folders in FolderTube. Top-level folders are unlimited on the free plan, so this part costs nothing regardless of how many groups you had in PocketTube. If any of your PocketTube groups were nested, note that subfolders in FolderTube require Premium — see the nested folders guide for how deep that nesting can go.
Step 4: Drag channels into the matching folders
Work through your reference list group by group, dragging each channel from FolderTube's unsorted list into the folder you created for it. This is the most time-consuming step and there is no shortcut around it — it is direct manual work, proportional to your channel count.
Step 5: Verify and clean up
Once every channel has a folder, compare folder counts against your original PocketTube list to catch anything you missed. Remember that in FolderTube, each channel belongs to exactly one folder at a time, so if a channel logically fit two PocketTube groups, decide on a single home for it in FolderTube (or use a broader folder name that covers both).
Add real folders to YouTube
FolderTube is free to install. Drag your subscriptions into folders and finally find what you actually want to watch.
Add to ChromeDo you need to uninstall PocketTube right away?
No. It is fine to keep both installed while you migrate, and even for a while afterward if you want a safety net. Keep in mind that both extensions inject their own UI into YouTube pages — PocketTube into the left sidebar, FolderTube into its own panel — so running both at once can look cluttered. Once you are confident your FolderTube structure is complete and you have used it for a normal browsing session or two, disable or uninstall PocketTube.
What changes day-to-day after switching
| Aspect | PocketTube | FolderTube |
|---|---|---|
| Where the UI lives | Integrated into YouTube's left sidebar | Slide-out panel from a masthead button |
| Cross-device sync | Chrome profile sync or optional Google Drive | Built-in, automatic once signed in |
| Drag-and-drop | Available in custom sort mode | On by default |
| Paid plan model | Free plus Patreon membership tier | Free plus Premium (Monthly/Yearly/Lifetime, one tier) |
What to read next
If you are also weighing FolderTube's Premium plan as part of this switch, the honest Premium breakdown covers exactly what is and is not worth paying for. And if part of your reason for switching is wanting your organization to follow you between browsers, see the guide to syncing folders across devices.