YouTube Users Battling Ad Disruptions
Users are experiencing a wide range of frustrating issues related to advertisements on YouTube, including skipping problems, ad blockers being detected and circumvented, unexpected ad loops, and playback errors. These issues significantly disrupt the viewing experience and often require workarounds like refreshing pages or disabling ad blockers, leading to user frustration.
SOURCES (60)
“Like the title say my videos do not continue playing after an ad starts up. I’m on mobile if that makes any difference. It does play when it’s picture-in-picture.Is anyone else experiencing this? submitted by /u/Parking-Anywhere-744 [link] [comments]”
“Did anyone notice the "ad report" feature on the 3 dots is slower now ? I could skip ads in record time with this now it takes 1 seconds to load the menu... And NO, i'm not paying for premium, no need to tell me abt it submitted by /u/Shetland95 [link] [comments]”
“so usually when i have unskippable ads i just mute and switch to another tab (im on chrome btw if this matters) but now i just noticed that when i switch tabs and mute the vid the ad stops playing in the backround. it just pauses. (kinda like that discord thing i think) so is this like a new thing they added? or was this old and im tripping? submitted by /u/noamthenoob [link] [comments]”
“What's the point of this little message that pops up when videos take a couple seconds longer to load when opening a video? It's taunting me. https://preview.redd.it/910djj8pr2mh1.png?width=365&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b4873fa17b9cbe1d0c307541baa720a57a3dff7 submitted by /u/gabrolljames [link] [comments]”
“https://preview.redd.it/a54fwifu51mh1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=a375456d5b17b0b5b095326f87c7a89394ef57cf I was trying to watch a video, but all of a sudden, the video just wouldn't load. So I turned off my adblocker and the video started playing with ads enabled. I use Firefox with uBlock Origin, and I have a feeling that this is a new thing Youtube has been pushing to stop adblockers. submitted by /u/Hot_Experience108 [link] [comments]”
“I dunno if it's just me or if this is an update but this has been happening for a week now but it's driving me insane. Every time I touch the screen to look at the time bar or try and move the video further along these ads/video suggestions just pop up and get in the way of the time bar. It's so annoying. I can't keep myself updated on where I am in the video and for specific videos from Gameranx, where fast forwarding through parts is necessary at certain points, it becomes an a”
“I installed AdGuard since it was the first one I looked into, and it checks all my boxes. So I didn't bother testing anything else :)”
“The YT premium "individual" plan supports 1 device streaming at a time. But what I find maddening is that it STOPS my video and gives me no option to continue playing when it detects multiple devices streaming. YT videos should always be watchable, since I can even watch a video if I don't have an account, just with ads. So why not instead just say "watch an ad to keep watching on second device" instead of just stopping me with no option to continue!? YT please fix this.”
“Hi everyone, As I encounter this issue I just wanted to give a short tutorial on how to get his over with. I used a Mac so I had to download a third party app (I was recommended to use AdGuard mini, but others should work as well), if you have a way of doing it without downloading an app, please let me know. Setup Install AdGuard for Safari (or other.) from the Mac App Store (This app is free, but you might be able to do it with Ublock or others). Safari → Settings → Extensions, tick every AdGua”
“Ynow how when you pause the video, it can on occasion force you out of full screen, putting an ad covering the list of videos on your right, right? It also can happen when an ad plays in non-fullscreen mode. Pretty understandable, but lately, it’s been forcing me out of full screen and giving me an ad WHILE THE VIDEO IS STILL PLAYING. Ive never seen this happen. Anyone know if this is a new thing they did? Also I don’t want to see any comments saying “bro just get premium” nah I youtube isnt tha”
I know what sponsorblock is because I am already using it in yt-dlp.
“Trying to link my channel to Google Ads under Data manager, Connect a YouTube channel. It fails every time with "Remove existing video links or link requests for this YouTube channel, then try again" and the channel row just reads Link failed. I own the channel and I'm signed in as the account that owns it. I've been through every Google account I have and none of them show a pending link request or an existing link to that channel. So something is holding either a link or a re”
“I almost exclusively watch YouTube videos through the app and recently, sometimes when there’s an ad break and ad ‘finishes’, the YouTube video won’t play. The video will still be “stuck” on the ad and the play/pause button doesn’t exist. I can scroll through recommended videos and even go to my homepage but the video will not be able to play and will show that it’s stuck on the ad. I’ve been resorting to using a browser with an ad blocker because sometimes it happens with every ad break (which”
“Yeah getting a weird issue with "experiencing interruptions" over and over. Been trying to tweak my adblocker and it helped, but still keeps popping up.”
“My app randomly updated today, and the trick of blocking the ad to skip it no longer works anymore. I like to use the youtube app for clarity reasons per say, but now I think I'll resort to using something like the brave browser :/ submitted by /u/Excellent-Papaya-848 [link] [comments]”
“the ads that usually pop up when you pause the video now pop up in the middle of the video. it happened so often in one video, so i screen recorded it. it only took me four minutes for it to happen again. it happened three times already and i was 14 minutes into the video. please tell me this is a glitch and not the new normal. submitted by /u/Interesting_Yam8070 [link] [comments]”
“I found a workaround that will have to do for now. Click on a YouTube video and if this message pops up, shut down your ad-blocker and then turn it back on and it should play whichever video you clicked. If that video plays right away, either that video or that channel doesn't support ads and thus you can watch that video without any wait.”
“So throughout today, I’ve seen ads being treated as videos. Like, the yellow bar at the bottom is replaced with a red one and I don’t get the option to skip. And when they end, it doesn’t go back to the video and it as the replay symbol where the pause was. I’m on a phone/using the app version if that makes a difference. submitted by /u/Thegremandude [link] [comments]”
“So... what the hell is this? Youtube updated and now when I try to use the progress bar to see what minute im on or select a timestamp I can't because it's blocked by ads and suggested videos. Plus now everytime I touch the screen it simply blocks half of whats playing. It's genuinely driving me insane. Anyone else having this problem? I'm on Android 14 and currently using Youtube v21.33.322. submitted by /u/S-SampleGear [link] [comments]”
“Is my time up with the crackdown of adblckers? Maybe so, i disabled everything and it still won't load. Anyone experience this? submitted by /u/Neon_Biscuit [link] [comments]”
“Does anyone had like this? Big video player? Is some had a filter to ublock to get normal video player submitted by /u/Kingman24558 [link] [comments]”
“Basically, every time i try to use Youtube with an ad blocker, the website will immediately start stuttering while increasing my RAM usage, oftentimes freezing my browser and computer. However, once the adblock is disabled, everything goes back to normal. I am using Firefox with uBlock Origin if it matters. submitted by /u/CapivaraComChimas [link] [comments]”
“I just put on a longer video that I started last night but didn’t finish because I wanted to go to bed. Said video is an hour 15 and I’m about an hour in. When I click the video, it plays a second before giving me ads. A few seconds after the ads are done, I get ads again. This is already annoying, but the worst part is it’s the SAME EXACT STRING OF ADS AGAIN. Same order and everything. I should not be getting ads after I just sat through them, and if I have to deal with this, at least give me d”
“Sometimes my adblocker just stops working. I usually use Brave, Firefox or Chrome, each has either Ublock Origin or an Adblocker. Sometimes every browser says "Video Unavailable ) Unless I go to Edge, which doesn't have an adblocker. Holy shit, YouTube without an Adblocker is horrible, but have you seen these fully generated AI Ads, It's so awful. I wouldn't mind the ads if they were in anyway relevant to me, but they're so repetitive, gross and they're just wasting time”
“I watch YT by casting from my iPad to either a chrome cast puck or straight to the YT app on the TV. In the last couple of days every time I try to use the skip button on the app it disconnects from the TV and if I recast it starts from the beginning. The only way I can watch a video all the way through is if I don’t skip. This is a real problem now that YT is forcing long play infomercial episodes as ads which can run for as long as 15 minutes (although you can skip after 90 seconds) Anybody el”
“Ok, context. I use Firefox on Linux Mint, and I use uBlock Origins together with the Improve Youtube and SponsorBlock Extensions. When I open a new video, the screen AROUND the video stutters for like a quarter of a second and glitches out temporary. Did this happen to anyone else? submitted by /u/Ecstatic-Network-917 [link] [comments]”
“I have this bug or idk a new YouTube feature where I get an ad, there’s no skip button so I just wait it out to finish but then it’s just stuck there the whole time to the point where I have to close the app and play the video again. Anyone else encountered this? submitted by /u/Shizueeeee [link] [comments]”
“I'm noticing on YouTube and ad will play than another same ads then repeat themselves then freeze will not go back to my video and just freeze I have to then click on a whole new video or go right to my history re click the current video re watch ads just to fix em. Why does YouTube hate money so much by breaking there platform people will just leave I'm confused by there logic submitted by /u/Jessie_R_art [link] [comments]”
“I got an AI ad before a video I watched (mobile app) and went to report it for being misleading only to realize, after I received an email confirmation, that I actually reported the video and NOT the ad. I can’t find a way to undo it or contact YouTube to ask for it to be removed. I just don’t want to negatively impact the small channel I was watching. Will this affect the channel at all or my own account for a false report? Thanks. submitted by /u/verylastpilot [link] [comment”
“So I’m watching videos and the ads will come up. First one plays with no issue, when the 2nd one comes up…the screen goes black with no skip button or play/pause button. I have to continuously exit my video and restart it only for the same issue to happen every time an ad starts. Wondering if anybody else is experiencing this issue? submitted by /u/utopiaishome [link] [comments]”
“my youtube (on phone) plays an ad and then gets stuck. there's no skip button, and even after the ad finishes, it doesn't move on to the actual video. I closed and reopened the app, but the exact same thing keeps happening. :/ submitted by /u/venesey [link] [comments]”
Before that, it had a “skip shortly” timer in the corner.
“I tried Firefox (because sometimes, YouTube - a Google platform, doesn't always function properly in Chrome - a Google browser), but the same problem persisted.”
Here's the video of it: I do not know if this is a bug or an intentional feature. submitted by /u/Chance_Temporary_501 [link] [comments]
“For the last couple weeks I keep getting annoying ads that I have repeatedly blocked and I notice they respond with "you should not see this ad anymore". I feel like them specifically using the word "should" is just their way of covering their a$$ since you absolutely will continue to see that ad no matter how many times you block it submitted by /u/No_Yesterday_8444 [link] [comments]”
“Has anyone figured out a solution to the Video buffering after watching an AD? I tried turning off my phone, switching to a different account, and even clearing my phones YouTube cache with no success.. submitted by /u/21eleanorinez [link] [comments]”
“I always click on it instead of the video, and I end up on the "Watching videos with paid product placements, sponsorships & endorsements" page instead of the video I want to watch. It's very annoying, and I'd like to get rid of it, as I already have Sponsor Block. submitted by /u/TearFar9927 [link] [comments]”
“while on mobile an ad will play and then after the ad is finished it won’t go back to the video and is just frozen, i can’t even skip ads anymore… the video won’t start up unless I click out of it and then go back… I’m so annoyed. I’m on iPhone and the update is up so I have no idea what is happening and I can’t fix it. submitted by /u/EducatorDifferent360 [link] [comments]”
“As a YouTube user, I do not want to watch any video that "includes paid promotion". There are ways to skip the sponsored segment while watching videos, and there is at least one plugin that hides the notice that a video includes paid promotions, but there is currently no solution that filters such videos out of your home feed or search results to begin with. While I'm not sure, the fact that YouTube can display the "Includes paid promotion" notice on top of videos, would”
“I do not have an ad blocker active. strange thing is, whenever I click on any video, there is a long 10-30 second period where it does nothing but buffer. at first, I thought this was similar to how if you have an ad blocker on, instead of getting ads, you’ll just lag for the duration of an ad. however, that shouldn’t be the case, as after the lag, ads play as normal. then the video does the same. it lags for under a minute, then plays as normal. submitted by /u/Important_Job_7691 [l”
“Maybe half the time using YT the skip button does not show. The skip button only shows when the vid is PiP Picture in Picture. On iPhone submitted by /u/YEETERSONMCDONANDSON [link] [comments]”
“I keep getting ads for what I assume is a raid shadow legends clone that are over sexual and lewd. They make me very uncomfortable but I can’t block them because my account age is under 18 cause I’m a minor and for some reason that means I can’t block ads. I have gotten the same ad dozens of times and it’s seriously pissing me off now. It’s the same ad three times in one video submitted by /u/c4shferl1fe [link] [comments]”
“First picture is when I have the video paused. Second picture is when I tap on my screen (mobile) to try and drag the timestamp to back up to a previous point in the video, but an ad and suggested video always pops up when I try to do that, fully blocking the whole red bar am I not allowed to rewind or fast forward anymore? submitted by /u/Kinexkid1993 [link] [comments]”
“every time I click a video and an ad comes up i skip it but when I do it freezes like in the photo? I tried not skipping the ads and let them end by themselves and it still happens. it also isn’t showing the ad it’s just playing the audio of it. I restarted my tv multiple times and nothing is working. Is this happening to anyone else? HELP ME submitted by /u/sl1pknot_00 [link] [comments]”
“I keep on having this one singular video pop up on the corner of my screen every time I open youtube with the "keep watching" thing and every time I just cancel the video because I dont give a shit and it keeps on coming back again and again!! Im guessing my brother was watching the video and then just closed YouTube without finishing it and now everytime I open the app it keeps on coming with the "keep on watching" bs, i wish I could send a screen recording of this. su”
“Hello everybody, Hope all is well. Recently started having this issue, where I'll be scrolling through videos and the moment an ad pops up Im unable to scroll to the next video, it just opens the ad in the browser. submitted by /u/jacksparrow19943 [link] [comments]”
“This is specifically for google chrome, I dont wish to switch browsers as I much perfer chrome. I have tried others and im just unwilling to use them instead of it, nor do I want to waste limited space on another browser that id only watch youtube with. Is there any way at all to still get around it? Because at this point youtube is unuseable, fake internet problems, fake video errors, fake comments disabled, fake roading times, fake black screen, fake everything. Please do me a favor, Id much a”