876
YouTube's ad problem just got worse: Users now seeing 90-second unskippable ads!
(www.androidauthority.com)
this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2026
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The problem stays the same, why should the answer change?
because chromium introduced a newer addon system that restricts what addons can do... effectively forcing adblockers to do a lot more work to keep functioning, with some features being impossible now
https://blog.adblockplus.org/blog/how-adblock-plus-is-getting-ready-for-manifest-v3
Mostly because the problem is systemic, so the response should be as well. Your answer was individualistic.
Individual change always places the blame on you. The real focus should be on the system that puts you under this pressure.
It wasn't my answer, but I'll play the part.
I agree with you in cases where individual change is hard, costly and has barely any influence on the big picture (like your "individual CO2 footprint"). But in this case the individual solution is to quit using a terrible browser and install a free extension in the new one, and it has all the impact it needs because it makes the problem go away. I can't take anybody seriously who will willingly put themselves through youtube ads when they are this easily avoided.
In your example you say reducing your individual CO2 print is hard. It's not. It just has no real effect against the larger problem. The same thing is true here.
And that's why the ads will always exist and people will always complain about them. It also funds them to eventually find ways around your individual solutions.
I guess answers like these misunderstand that you're fighting a losing battle.
Its not like those are mutually exclusive. Long term vs short term fix.
I dunno, I was just hoping for something more insightful.
Something more insightful than the obvious solution screaming in your face?
I was hoping for some comments that realized not everyone wants to go to such lengths to avoid watching ads.
Or that people use devices such as Chromecasts.
If you use a Google service on a locked down Google device, what magic fix are you hoping for? There are limits. If you're unwilling to make any meaningful change, then unfortunately you're out of luck and either need to suck it up and watch the ads, or pay Google for an ad-free experience. Or you can leave their ecosystem and be free.
If there's no solution to your device, then the only solution is a new device. At some point, it made sense for me to switch out my Chromecast (gen 1? puck) and go with a dedicated media pc. Now the Chromecast lives in the garage to stream music uninterrupted while I can still watch YouTube tutorials
That's a lot more hassle than most people are willing to go through just to watch YouTube.
Yes, but unfortunately, there's not always an alternative left to use. If you can't jump devices, then commercial breaks are just how it is. It's one thing to complain that there's no new workaround, but instead, you decried the platform for presenting the one (currently) reliable solution. That is why the platform is jumping on you.
Grayjay
Edit: instead of making a snarky comment, I should probably do the right thing for fellow lemmings and explain:
I'm fucking old and I've seen this before. It's the same model as it was with TV and Cable. Air tv becomes so ad ridden than when Cable comes "ad free" we all start paying and switch over. A decade later the "base" cable TV plan is so ad ridden that they come up with "premium channels", so you sign up for that so you can watch a movie without 10 minute ad break in the middle or 4 minute ad breaks on series. Then channels start splitting into "base" and "premium" versions (e.g. Discovery or History). Base channel is now just RealityTV garbage.
I got fed up and started following creators on Google Video (then YouTube), Vimeo, listening to stuff on ShoutCast (that was winamp's podcast/radio thing). Then Netflix comes out, decent service. Every other media company wants a piece of the pie. Slowly but surely every decent movie/series on Netflix gets moved to their respective production company's service: disney, HBO, Paramount+... Netflix starts toying with ads, now disney...
Slowly YT starts adding ads on the sidebar, then in the lower third, then pre-rolls. Now there's "premium bitrate" behind a paywall. At some point I said "fuck it I'm not playing ball anymore". Why pay premium? it'll be the same as it's always been. Soon enough "premium" yt will be the only way to watch over 360p quality, they'll lower a bit the cost of YT Premium, ppl will jump in and down the road they'll add ads back.
I'd rather donate a buck to my favorite creators, it'll be 100x more income that whatever they'd get off my views.