If you don’t have an open by default setting on your phone, follow these steps:

1. Install the app ‘Hidden Settings for MIUI’
2. Open it and go to ‘Manage Applications’
3. Select ‘NewPipe’
4. Click ‘Advanced’
5. Select ‘Open by default’
6. For ‘open support links’ select ‘open’. For ‘supported links’ select ‘open youtu.be and other URLs’

Anytime you click a YouTube link it will now open in NewPipe, no matter what app you’re in.

Gotcha. At least you can still access and comment on other instances.

Did you try subscribing instead? Once you sign up for one instance, you don’t have to sign up for another. I only signed up for beehaw.

I wrote two or three sentences I think, got accepted quickly. Maybe they’re dealing with an influx of applications.