diff --git a/background.js b/background.js
index d60dfb84..171b5f39 100644
--- a/background.js
+++ b/background.js
@@ -265,11 +265,5 @@ function sendRequestToServer(type, address, callback) {
   xmlhttp.send();
 }
 
-function getYouTubeVideoID(url) { // Return video id or false
-  var regExp = /^.*((youtu.be\/)|(v\/)|(\/u\/\w\/)|(embed\/)|(watch\?))\??v?=?([^#\&\?]*).*/;
-  var match = url.match(regExp);
-  return (match && match[7].length == 11) ? match[7] : false;
-}
-
 //uuid generator function from https://gist.github.com/jed/982883
 function generateUUID(a){return a?(a^Math.random()*16>>a/4).toString(16):([1e7]+-1e3+-4e3+-8e3+-1e11).replace(/[018]/g,generateUUID)}
diff --git a/content.js b/content.js
index 73348973..656b0e83 100644
--- a/content.js
+++ b/content.js
@@ -1143,26 +1143,3 @@ function sendRequestToCustomServer(type, fullAddress, callback) {
   //submit this request
   xmlhttp.send();
 }
-
-function getYouTubeVideoID(url) { // Returns with video id else returns false
-  var regExp = /^.*((youtu.be\/)|(v\/)|(\/u\/\w\/)|(embed\/)|(watch\?))\??v?=?([^#\&\?]*).*/;
-  var match = url.match(regExp);
-  var id = new URL(url).searchParams.get("v");
-  if (url.includes("/embed/")) {
-    //it is an embed, don't search for v
-    id = match[7];
-  }
-
-  return (match && match[7].length == 11) ? id : false;
-}
-
-//returns the start time of the video if there was one specified (ex. ?t=5s)
-function getYouTubeVideoStartTime(url) {
-  let searchParams = new URL(url).searchParams;
-  var startTime = searchParams.get("t");
-  if (startTime == null) {
-    startTime = searchParams.get("time_continue");
-  }
-
-  return startTime;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/manifest.json b/manifest.json
index 2391ccb5..544b9501 100644
--- a/manifest.json
+++ b/manifest.json
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
       "all_frames": true,
       "js": [
         "config.js",
+        "utils.js",
         "content.js",
         "popup.js"
       ],
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@
   }, 
   "background": {
     "scripts":[
+      "utils.js",
       "config.js",
       "background.js"
     ],
diff --git a/popup.html b/popup.html
index be45142b..30195294 100644
--- a/popup.html
+++ b/popup.html
@@ -193,5 +193,6 @@
 
   <!-- Scripts that need to load after the html -->
   <script src="config.js"></script>
+  <script src="utils.js"></script>
   <script src="popup.js"></script>
-</html>
\ No newline at end of file
+</html>
diff --git a/popup.js b/popup.js
index 8368f274..d1186984 100644
--- a/popup.js
+++ b/popup.js
@@ -1127,13 +1127,6 @@ function runThePopup() {
     xmlhttp.send();
   }
   
-  function getYouTubeVideoID(url) { // Returns with video id else returns false
-    var regExp = /^.*((youtu.be\/)|(v\/)|(\/u\/\w\/)|(embed\/)|(watch\?))\??v?=?([^#\&\?]*).*/;
-    var match = url.match(regExp);
-    var id = new URL(url).searchParams.get("v");
-    return (match && match[7].length == 11) ? id : false;
-  }
-  
 //end of function
 }
 
@@ -1143,4 +1136,4 @@ if (chrome.tabs != undefined) {
 
   //this means it is actually opened in the popup
   runThePopup();
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/utils.js b/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a2374b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+function getYouTubeVideoID(url) {
+    //Attempt to parse url
+    try { 
+        let urlObject = new URL(url);
+    } catch (e) {      
+        console.error("[SB] Unable to parse URL: " + url);
+        return false
+    }
+  
+    //Check if valid hostname
+    if(!["www.youtube.com","www.youtube-nocookie.com"].includes(urlObject.host)) return false; 
+    
+    //Get ID from searchParam
+    if ((urlObject.pathname == "/watch" || urlObject.pathname == "/watch/") && urlObject.searchParams.has("v")) {
+      id = urlObject.searchParams.get("v"); 
+      return id.length == 11 ? id : false;
+    } else if (urlObject.pathname.startsWith("/embed/")) {
+      try {
+        return urlObject.pathname.substr(7, 11);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.error("[SB] Video ID not valid for " + url);
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+}
+
+//returns the start time of the video if there was one specified (ex. ?t=5s)
+function getYouTubeVideoStartTime(url) {
+  let searchParams = new URL(url).searchParams;
+  let startTime = searchParams.get("t");
+  if (startTime == null) {
+    startTime = searchParams.get("time_continue");
+  }
+
+  return startTime;
+}