YouTube to prevent third-party apps from blocking ads on their platform

There is bad news for mobile users who use ad blockers for an ad-free YouTube experience, as a recent YouTube update will prevent third-party apps from blocking ads on their platform.

So, if you primarily watch YouTube through a mobile ad blocker, be prepared for potential disruptions. This means you might encounter buffering issues or error messages when watching videos through the YouTube app.

This war against adblockers isn't a new one for YouTube. Last year, it implemented similar measures for desktop users with ad-blocking extensions, essentially disabling videos for them.

The reasoning behind this strategy has remained the same. YouTube hopes to nudge users towards embracing the ads or subscribing to YouTube Premium, its ad-free subscription service. While this may be frustrating for some viewers, YouTube is prioritizing creators by ensuring they get paid for their content.

YouTube's strong stance against ad blockers is not surprising, as ads are a major source of income for both the platform and its creators. In 2023, it reached approximately $31.51 billion in advertising revenue, a significant jump of nearly 8% compared to the previous year, as seen in the Techloy chart below.

Currently, YouTube Premium boasts 100 million subscribers – still only 3.7% of its massive 2.7 billion monthly visitors, according to data from Business of Apps. This number is expected to rise as Google actively combats ad blockers, potentially prompting more users to consider paid subscriptions.