How to block ads on YouTube?

A quick insight and things you have to know.

Introduction

It is very possible that you are already aware of all that — after all, it is common knowledge that YouTube is extremely popular. And given that you found this post, you probably spend some time on YouTube every day yourself, contributing to the stats. And, of course, it can be safely assumed that you are not too happy that a noticeable portion of that time has to be spent on viewing ads, when you’re just waiting for the skip button instead of watching the actual videos. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just watch YouTube uninterrupted, without unskippable ads?

So let’s have a glance at how to block ads on YouTube, and reasons to why your adblock is not working on YouTube as you want it to.

Types of ads

Ad Format Description
Display ads Shows up next to the video (Desktop and laptop PCs only).
Overlay ads Appears across the bottom 20% of the video window (Desktop and laptop PCs only). Can be dismissed by pressing the “x” mark.
Skippable video ads The most common ad format. Users can skip the ad after viewing it for 5 seconds. It can be inserted before, during, or after the video.
Non-skippable video ads and long, non-skippable video ads Unskippable 15+ second ad. It can be inserted before, during, or after the video.
Midroll ads Appear on videos over 10 minutes: ads are spaced within the video, like TV commercials. User must watch the ad before continuing through the video.
Bumper ads A lightweight, non-skippable video ad up to 6 seconds long. User must watch the entire ad before the video can be viewed.
Sponsorship ads Ads that are in the YouTube video itself, absolutely unblockable but can be skipped manually

How to stop all these ads on YouTube?

There are, in fact, several ways to deal with YouTube ads. Which is good, as not all methods suit all people — there’s a room for personal preference. Study the available options and choose the one that works best for you.

1. YouTube ReVanced

Just like when you need to blow leaves away you’re grabbing a leafblower, when you want to block ads it’s only logical to look for an AdBlocker.

Let’s have a look at pros and cons of using a modified YouTube app:

Pros Cons
Block ads on YouTube mobile app. Can be taken down anytime by Google LLC.
Open source and updated weekly. Mobile only

Due to the technical limitations of the Android OS based devices, no ad blocker is able to block ads directly inside of the YouTube app itself. Up until recently, I’ve discovered a YouTube ad blocker that can block ads while watching in it by using the app called YouTube ReVanced.

What is ReVanced?

ReVanced is a modified/patched YouTube application that has the ability to remove ads, block sponsorship ads (Sponsorblock), and many more.

How to use ReVanced?

  1. Download the YouTube ReVanced app in this website.

  2. Download the microG app in this website.

  3. Install the downloaded apps.

  4. Open the YouTube ReVanced app.

  5. Login your account and enjoy.

ReVanced not opening/working?

To solve the problem, please see the possible solutions below to fix your problem.

No internet connection:

  • Remove your account from Vanced MicroG (If the problem exists, try again.)

  • Wipe Vanced MicroG & YouTube Vanced/ReVanced app data and cache.

  • Enable auto start for Vanced MicroG if you use heavy customized Android version such as MIUI, OneUI, FlymeOS, HarmonyOS, etc.

App not installed:

  • Free up some storage space and try again.

  • Uninstall and Reinstall the apps. There may be a signature mismatch on the apps.

  • Make sure you have downloaded the apps here. (The YouTube app here is Universal Architecture, which means the app is intended to work on all types of device architectures.)

Crash when opening:

  • Install or reinstall the apps.

  • Turn off battery optimization for the apps.

  • Allow the apps to run on background or auto start (on heavy customized OS : MIUI, OneUI, FlymeOS, HarmonyOS, etc.)

  • Wipe app data and cache.

  • Uninstall and install the apps.

Problem parsing the package:

  • Check your Android version, Make sure your current Android version is 8.0+, the minimum required Android version for the apps to work.

  • Redownload the apps.

2. Install browser extensions.

This method is quite limited only for PC browsers, but it can also be done in mobile if you install a browser called “Kiwi Browser”.

Let’s have a look at pros and cons of using an extensions in mobile and PC browsers:

Pros Cons
Can exactly do the same AdBlocking of YouTube ReVanced. Limited for browsers only.
Can also implement Sponsorblock and Return YouTube Dislike by installing some extensions. For mobile, this extension method only works if you install Kiwi Browser.
Can also implement other features that the current ReVanced app doesn’t have.  

How to install extensions?

Google Chrome

  1. Open Google Chrome.

  2. Click this link.

  3. Search the store for a phrase or extension name.

  4. When you find an extension you want to install, click the “Add to Chrome” button.

  5. In the confirmation box, click Add extension.

Firefox

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox.

  2. Click this link.

  3. At the top of the page, click Extensions.

  4. In the Find add-ons search field, type a phrase or extension you want to find.

  5. When you find an extension you want to install, click the Add to Firefox button.

  6. In the upper-left corner of the screen, click the Add button or Cancel if you want to cancel.

  7. When the installation is complete, a notification is displayed.

For more info of how to install extensions, click here.

What extensions I will be installing to remove YouTube ads?

If you ask me, there are only 2 extensions that I’ll recommend to you to install.

  1. Adblock for Youtube™

  2. Sponsorblock

What is AdBlock for YouTube™?

Adblock for Youtube™ is a content filtering and ad blocking browser extension which blocks all ads on Youtube™. It allows users to prevent page elements, such as advertisements, from being displayed. Banner, Ad-Clips or even preroll ads you usually see before the actual video on Youtube are blocked by this extension.

What is Sponsorblock?

SponsorBlock lets you skip over sponsors, intros, outros, subscription reminders, and other annoying parts of YouTube videos. SponsorBlock is a crowdsourced browser extension that lets anyone submit the start and end times of sponsored segments and other segments of YouTube videos. Once one person submits this information, everyone else with this extension will skip right over the sponsored segment.

I’ve done installing the extensions, what’s next?

What’s next? It’s obvious, start now to watch on YouTube without experiencing ads and sponsorships interruptions.

Final words

Absolutely. To have a grasp of the historical background, search for the battle of Eyeo, an ad-blocking company, and Axel Springer, a publishing company. Their conflict was arbitrated by German court proving that ad blocking is legal, and hence, that users can and should control what they see on the Internet.

Are ad blockers safe?

Yes, if you use an ad blocker from a trusted developer. Search for information from legitimate sources about it and, ideally, download it from the developer’s website. Study its Privacy Policy. Be careful and avoid suspicious YouTube ad blockers – they may turn out to be fake.

Do ad blockers track you?

Lesser known, free apps, not just ad blockers, are often riddled with trackers. Double check your ad blocker: it should be from a trusted developer, downloaded from a reliable source. Did you nod twice? Then you may rest assured, your ad blocker shouldn’t track you.

Thank you for reading till the end! Hopefully, you found this post helpful. Stay safe and untroubled out there online!

© Credits

  • -Vortex- from PH Corner

  • AdGuard

  • ReVanced.io

  • Computer Hope