YouTube users whowho have an ad blocker installed face an issue where the video skips to the end, but video playback returns to normal after disabling the ad blocker.
The issue appears to be due to Google's re-testing of the platform, where it becomes very difficult to watch content without seeing ads if you are not a YouTube Premium subscriber.
YouTube successfully retired its popular third-party YouTube Vanced app in 2022 to encourage users looking for an ad-free experience to pay and join YouTube Premium.
In 2023, the platform declared war on ad blockers and began testing ad blockers.
Later in 2023, users reported that the platform would not play the video if it detected an ad blocker. The user received three warnings or three videos for the ad blocker to work. Then playback is no longer possible.
According to reports in January 2024, the platform was testing a feature to slow down video loading times for users who had ad blockers installed.
Some users also reported no sound in YouTube videos when using ad blockers, while others reported videos crashing while loading and the issue was resolved when users disabled ad blockers.
One user wrote: “I don't get any sound when I use the YouTube ad blocker. You can adjust the volume control for a second and then turn it off again.”
The streaming platform relies on an ad-supported revenue model and wants to ensure that the only way to guarantee that ads won't show up is to opt for the premium subscription.
Users have found workarounds. Some reported that using extensions like uBlock Origin still worked as expected, while others turned to plugins like Ad Speedup, which automatically speeds up ads on YouTube.
Users have also found that using a VPN and setting your location to Albania helps avoid YouTube ads. This may be because Google Ads does not support the Albanian language yet.