FreeTubeApp / FreeTubeApp/FreeTube

[Bug]: Default Invidious instance is not reachable

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B: usability
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Description

### Guidelines

- [x] I have encountered this bug in the [latest release of FreeTube](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/releases).
- [x] I have encountered this bug in the [official downloads of FreeTube](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube#official-downloads). **The only official downloads are from the [https://freetubeapp.io](https://freetubeapp.io/#download) website, the [FreeTubeApp/FreeTube GitHub repository](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/releases) and the [io.freetubeapp.FreeTube flatpak](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube) from Flathub.**
- [x] I have [searched the issue tracker for **open and closed** issues](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues?q=is%3Aissue+sort%3Arelevance-desc) that are similar to the bug report I want to file, without success.
- [x] I have searched the [documentation](https://docs.freetubeapp.io/) for information that matches the description of the bug I want to file, without success.
- [x] This issue contains only one bug.
- [x] I have read and agree to follow the [rules](https://docs.freetubeapp.io/community/rules/).

### Describe the bug

1. Go to `Settings > General > Preferred API Backend` and chose "Invidious API"
2. Observe that current Invidious Instance is set to https://inv.zoomerville.com
3. Observe that FreeTube can't fetch anything

### Expected Behavior

Default Invidious instance chosen should work, or shouldn't be used.

### Issue Labels

usability issue

### 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

This issue **is** a duplicate of https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/9473, but my issue is more that the design should be improved for the automatic selection, not that Invidious instance should be fixed.
This issue is similar to https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/3161 but is not a duplicate. However, they could be merged together.

I thought that implementing something like suggested here https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/3161#issuecomment-1424281446 would be a good solution to this issue, but it raises some design questions.

Currently, none of the instances listed here https://api.invidious.io are usable. They all have their APIs disabled, and the only one that does not (https://inv.zoomerville.com), is not returning a valid JSON (from what I understand, it is protected by a captcha).

Filtering this list would mean returning an empty list of available instances, which will then fallback to using the static [invidious-instances.json](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/blob/development/static/invidious-instances.json) file. This file is just the same list, but older, so none of them are reachable either.

This raises a number of questions:
- Is the invidious-instances.json file still relevant?
- If still relevant, should it be updated to the current list of available instances, which is currently none?
- If fetching https://api.invidious.io does not return any useful results, and if fallbacking to the static file does not contain anything either, what should FreeTube do? Maybe we could just show a toast message or an indication that the current invidious instance field *must* be *manually* filled to use it.

### Nightly Build

- [ ] I have encountered this bug in the latest **official** [nightly build](https://docs.freetubeapp.io/development/nightly-builds), do not check this box if you are using an unofficial or custom build.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reviewing static/invidious-instances.json and comparing it with the current results from https://api.invidious.io. Read the related discussions in issues 9473 and 3161 before deciding how automatic instance selection should behave when no usable instance is available. Done means the fallback and user-facing behavior are explicitly agreed and the default no longer points to an unusable instance.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
json
Domain
api
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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