Kinda wish it was open source though. Sure, the source code is available on GitLab, but if you read the license you're expressly forbidden from modifying it
They explained that they fear malware infected clones would damage their reputation at this early stage and draw unwanted attention while they build a user base.
Not sure I agree, but they at least explain the thinking behind it.
It was on Fdroid for me? What app store are you looking on?
Also, libretube is another frontend on Fdroid. A little more buggy than newpipe, but it proxies YouTube requests if you don't/can't use a VPN.