What you need to know
- Users with ad blockers on YouTube are experiencing problems like videos skipping to the end or muting.
- YouTube denies these issues are related to its anti-ad blocker efforts, attributing them to recent performance improvements.
- The problems mainly affect AdBlock Plus users; uBlock Origin users report no issues.
If you're encountering issues on YouTube, your ad blocker might be the culprit. Some users with ad blockers are noticing their videos unexpectedly skipping to the end.
On the r/youtube subreddit, ad blocker users have reported odd problems like videos being muted or jumping straight to the end. For example, u/SDHD4K shared a clip showing their video ending abruptly with Adblock Plus enabled, as reported by 9to5Google.
New Youtube adblock weird behaviour - video automatically skips to the end from r/youtube
The original poster tried replaying the video from different points, but it still ended suddenly. Others mentioned audio problems, like one user who only got sound by constantly adjusting the volume.
At first, it seemed like these issues were part of YouTube's increased efforts to fight ad blockers, but the company has denied this. In a statement to 9to5Google, YouTube said the problems stem from recent improvements to the platform's performance and reliability, not from its anti-ad blocker campaign.
The glitch mostly affects AdBlock Plus users, but many ad blockers have released updates to fix it. Meanwhile, users reported no problems with uBlock Origin.
YouTube has been stepping up its fight against ad blockers. Last month, it tightened restrictions on third-party apps, warning that those blocking ads might lose API access. In November, YouTube confirmed that slowdowns in major web browsers were linked to its anti-ad-blocker efforts. Back in June 2023, it began alerting users they'd be cut off after three videos if an ad blocker was detected.
People use ad blockers to avoid pop-ups and intrusive ads for a better online experience. The recent increase in YouTube ads and the rising cost of YouTube Premium likely pushed more people to install ad blockers.
Despite YouTube's aggressive stance against ad blockers, which apparently caused a spike in uninstalls, ad-block developers quickly released updates to counter the changes.
Unsurprisingly, people are quick to blame YouTube's ad-blocker crackdown for any related glitches. Intentional or not, these latest issues make using ad blockers so irritating that you'll likely turn them off, leaving you to either put up with the ads or spring for Premium.
