Why bother to pay if you're just going to get ads anyway
this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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I keep noticing people in this thread recommending UBlock Origin, with others replying that they eventually got a popup to turn off their adblocker.
This is usually followed by replies mentioning they just click X (or add a UBlock filter on the popup), and go on with watching Youtube. No problem, right?
According to Ublock Origin's Redd*t Post, that is just the first warning stage; eventually the presentation of their anti-adblock message becomes more intrusive until you receive the "The in-player message. Playback is stopped."
I should know. I get that message on any Youtube video (while logged in), and it doesn't go away for several hours.
That said, my workaround (extremely hacky) was to find the RSS feeds for all of my channel subscriptions, and then add them to FreshRSS. That section of my RSS feed essentially acts like a Youtube subscription page, but not tied to an actual account.
On my computer: I watch them in a private browser Firefox profile I've dedicated solely to Youtube (and has all of the extensions already installed, of course).
On Android: I watch them using NewPipe.
Even quicker fix: logout.
Admittedly i'm not a huge youtube watcher, but since logging out there's not a single damned nag when i run a marathon
Same. I use it in a dedicated Firefox container, so if I ever get a nag, I'll clear the cores all cookies in that container and I assume that'll reset whatever that is.
Previously I had the warnings until uBlock killed them. Only one has made it through in recent times, we'll see how things keep going.
Ubo and ff mobile: I got the warning for the first time yesterday. Closed ff completely and it went back to normal. I also run pihole too, so maybe a mix of them together has kept my account 'safe' still. And I'm still yt freemium. FF mobile with desktop site enabled allows for audio play back with screen off btw.
Ublock orgins on Firefox has worked for me so far on both pc and mobile. No warnings.
I do also have umatrix on pc, but I can't really recommend it for everyone since it requires some setup on every web page which most people would find too annoying.
if this happens to me I just won't watch youtube anymore. It's mostly garbage content anyway.
They will always want you to watch more ads. Doesn't matter that you literally pay them not to. Manipulating your purchase habits is more profitable than your subscription is because your tolerance for ads sets the amount they can sell.
YouTube has so many ads now it's ridiculous. Yesterday YouTube threatened me with the popup even though I have UBlock on Firefox. I've seen 10 ads on a 20 minute video. As if the un-skipabble 2 minute long ads that pause when you switch tabs wasn't bad enough, YouTube is now putting ads in their Premium.
YouTube is in dire need of a big competitor and fast.
I'm never going to pay to see ads in my life. Nope.
Sadly I do so every week when going to the cinema
Yeah, horrible innit? When I used to go to the cinema as a kid in the 70s and 80s, you'd get maybe ten minutes of trailers before your film. And I never minded that, I don't dislike watching trailers. These days, totally different. Last time I went to the cinema there was maybe half an hour of ads. Some trailers, but mostly just advertisements for crap.
It is so fuckin disrespectful to their customers. If I wanted to see all that bullshit, I could have stayed home and watched it on TV. Except I don't watch TV because the experience is so poor - largely because of ads.
I understand that cinemas have been struggling ever since covid, even before, and I understand that advertising revenue pays the bills. But cinema isn't cheap, for me it's an occasional treat when there's something I really wanna see on the big screen. I do not want to spend that much money and get treated like a fuckin farm animal being fed crap. Wankers.
I can't be alone in feeling this way, who wants to pay to see ads? Who thinks that sounds like a great evening out? It ruins the experience, and it's insulting, by the time the movie starts I'm angry. I'd rather pay a bit more and just have a couple of trailers.
I recently went to a small autonomous cinema with a mate and saw Mulholland Drive. Great experience, comfy seats, could bring in drinks from the bar, no fuckin ads. But for new films there aren't many options. So I don't often go to the cinema.
Sorry for this long and bitter diatribe! You just hit on something that really pisses me off too.
Go 20 minutes late my dude
I haven't gone to a movie in like... 10 years probably. Ha..
I'm self-hosting Invidious... I get a nice, free YouTube experience without ever visiting YouTube.
Wasn't aware of this, that's awesome. Unfortunately it would need to be able to cast to various HTPCs and be easy enough for my family to use to fully replace YouTube in my house.
get ublock or revanced
Wait, so I was right?
I will pay only when Google ensure that my data will not be used for any type of advertising or AI training (this obviously includes selling to third parties). Months ago I read around, I don’t know if it’s true, that even those with a premium account will see ads. If that proves true, it means I will never make the subscription. It’s pretty simple.
To remove ads subscribe to Youtube Premium Platinum Plutonium and select the Ad-Free! add-on (for only an additional $2.95/mo)*.
*promotional first-month price only; increases after 30 days to regular rate of $5.95/mo **
**with annual subscription only; per-month rate $7.95/mo ***
*** with VIP subscription only; regular rate $11.95/mo.
Oh good, we're not up to having to provide bone marrow (yet).
####These terms of service can only be updated by GOOGLE at anytime with or without notice. You hearby agree to this term of service and, any and all updates, without review, made by GOOGLE to the terms of service.####
*By enabling the VIP package in addition, we guarantee to not update the TOS more than once every second.
Or use stube on android tv and recanced on phones. One of the reasons I can't go to iOS.
I had to go iOS because of… reasons,but you can sideload modded youtube app, with sponsorblock. exactly as on android,but with many headaches like token expiry every week and other bullshit issues like google not allowing IPAs directly in github repos.
Lame, but it can be done.
Edit: Guys. I think a lot of you missed where I said EASIEST METHODS.
Easiest methods to ditch Youtube ads:
- PC: Firefox + uBlock Origin
- Mac, option 1: Safari + AdGuard
- Mac, option 2: Firefox + uBlock Origin
- Android, option 1: Youtube ReVanced (FYI: ALL Play Store listings for this are fake; the official site is revanced.app and is the only place to get it)
- Android, option 2: Firefox Mobile + uBlock Origin
- iPhone/iPad: Safari + AdGuard
For those who may have heard about Pi-hole and are wondering why it's not on this list: PI-HOLE DOES NOT BLOCK YOUTUBE ADS. IT NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL.
I use IgeBlock on Android. It has the banner ads, but not the video ads, so it's pretty good if you don't wanna deal with Revanced
uBlock on mobile Firefox gets rid of all the ads though.
That, and Revanced isn't difficult to set up, you don't even need root:
- Disable stock youtube app
- Download Revanced manager
- Grab the recommended .apk version from APKMirror
- Patch it with Revanced manager
- Install it
And you're done. Update once every 6-12 months or so.
Android, option 3 (Better): newpipe from fdroid. 0% algorithmic feed, exclusively show who you're following, in chronological order
Yeah, this will work for a while but I think the days have gotta be numbered.
Best long term solution? Leave YouTube.
I guess in the meantime: if on PC grab the freetube flatpak. Really decent client, anonymous and create subscriptions without actually subscribing.
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I would actually pay for YT premium if it was reasonably priced and I think there are many like me. Why are they shooting themselves in the foot?
Because of the desire for infinite growth. The line must go up 💹
I'll never pay for until until 1. It's reasonably priced, 2. Downvotes are returned and 3 sponsor block is integrated into the app.
Can I add 4. the integrated video downloader actually downloads videos, in whatever format you would want, and with no internet connection required to watch them. This to me is still the biggest scam 'feature' of Youtube Premium. You can '''download''' videos, but not as eg. an mp4, but as an encrypted file only playable inside the Youtube app, and only if you connected to the internet in the last couple of days can you play it.
That's not downloading, that's just jacking my disk space to avoid buffering the video from Youtube's servers. That's not a feature, that's me paying for Youtube's benefit.
I cancelled and haven't paid for Premium in years because of it. When someone scams me out of features I paid for, I don't reward that shit until they either stop lying in their feature list, or actually start delivering.
Holy shit, I didn't even know about that bullshit. Yea that definitely makes the list.
Sponsor block is not going to be included as those are not controlled by YouTube. They are the Chanel's sponsorship.
Well they need to do something because those sponsor segments are fucking ads.
They do have chapters which could allow creators to separate sponsor ads into a skippable segments. Some of them even actually do it.
It should be a requirement if they are being paid by Youtube
I actually paid for it for a bit after I got a few months free with a Pixel a while ago. And it was pretty good and reasonably priced.
Then they started removing features (no dislike bar for you lol) and raising the price and I'm never giving them a single goddamn cent or not using a block on their shit.
I've since cancelled and transitioned from workspace or whatever they call it now and use Revanced, ublock origin, etc. They actually had my money and they fucked it. Never again. Get fucked, Google and the shit huffing execs in charge of it.
It's never enough for these people. They want all of your money and they won't stop until they have it. Fucking blood suckers.
If you use yt music and watch YouTube as your main entertainment, it's well worth it imo.
With that said, I've been degoogling and this is probably the one I won't be able to break.
Same here. YT is the only Google owned service I still use. I personally don't mind the cost, since I watch a lot and wish to support the people that make the content. I would love a proper alternative but I don't see that happen any time soon.
Yeah, rumble seems like the only viable alternative and they got lambasted for hosting so much right wing conspiracy nuts when it first launched lol
Ironic that just yesterday I was getting blocked on youtube telling me that adblocking was illegal/against tos/whatever and that if i didnt want Ads I could subscribe to Youtube Premium.. only now to announce ads on premium.
What a fucking shithole company.
edit
and they continue to take no accountability for failing to police their own ads, thus creating the essential need for adblocking services in the first place.
WE WOULDNT BE BLOCKING ADS IF YOU REGULATED ADVERTISERS LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO REGULATE VIEWERS.
Damn, you pay and still get ads? Does that count as findom? Like it feels very cucky, doesn't it?
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When options like uBlock and FreeTube no longer block ads, I'll stop watching YouTube. They'll never get a cent out of me.
If it weren't Google, I wouldn't be against paying. Fuck Google.
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