I’m sure many of you are already aware that YouTube has been rolling out anti-adblock detection for Chrome users for a few weeks now.
Today, as a long time Firefox user with the fantastic uBlock Origin extension installed, I got my first anti-adblock popup on the platform. Note that this may not happen to you personally for a while, but it is inevitably coming for everyone.
Thankfully, the fine folks at uBlock Origin have already advised a simple workaround (on Reddit, yuck!) which I will duplicate in a simplified form below for your convenience. I have tested it on Firefox and it is working fine for me (so far).
PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS POST.
Update uBO to the latest version (1.52.0+) . <== The extension itself, for technical improvements. You do this in your browser.
Remove your custom config / reset to defaults. <== This means removing your custom filters (or disabling My filters) and disabling ALL additional lists you’ve enabled. It might be quicker to make a backup of your config and restore to defaults instead.
Force an update of your Filter Lists. <== This is within the extension. Lists are what determine what’s blocked or not. How to update Filter lists: Click 🛡️ uBO’s icon > the ⚙ Dashboard button > the Filter lists pane > the 🕘 Purge all caches button > the 🔃 Update now button.
Disable all other extensions AND your browser’s built-in blockers. <== No need to uninstall, just disable them. They might interfere with our solutions.
Make sure you follow all 4 points above. If you’re seeing the message, it’s likely due to your custom config (either additional lists or separate filters in My filters).
Restarting your browser afterwards may help too.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the issue on default settings, you can slowly start restoring your config (if you really need it). Do it gradually, to easier find out what was causing the issue in the first place. Once you find the culprit, simply skip it in your config.
If you want to use Enhancer for YouTube*, you have to* disable its adblocking*.*
May the force uBlock Origin be with you!
Update
Just wanted to mention a few things that have been pointed out in the comments:
- There are quite a few projects that provide an alternative ad-free front end to YouTube. These include Invidious, FreeTube, LibreTube, Newpipe, Revanced, and I’m sure there are several more options I’ve missed. I don’t have any particular preference really but I routinely use NewPipe on my cellphone just because I tried it once and couldn’t be bothered trying all the others.
- In step 4 listed above, to clarify, afaik you only need to remove adblocker extensions (if you have more than one installed) that might conflict with the uBlock Origin rules and trigger the anti-adblock, not all extensions.
- If you hate non-stop ads but want to support your favorite content creators then be sure to give them some love on Patreon or whatever alternative options they provide. Creators typically make only a tiny, tiny fraction of what YouTube makes in ad revenue, assuming YouTube doesn’t just outright steal the lot, and it’s a shitty business model that’s ruining the internet. Even if you watch the ads, you’re only supporting YouTube most of the time, not the creators.
And they’re not wrong. But they put themselves in this position when they uploaded their videos to servers owned by one of the worst corporations in the world, with massive privacy implications, and no alternatives.
I watch them on other platforms when they make it available.
Creators are victims here too. For most of them YouTube was a very different place when they were beginning their careers on the platform.
Not that it changes your point, I just feel it’s important to keep in mind that the process of “Enshittification” sucks for everyone (well, except shareholders).
Eeeeh that’s wildly arguable. It costs marginally $0 for a creator to upload their content to some other platform besides (not instead of) Youtube. If they don’t, and then they complain that people don’t Monetize Them, to me it feels like they are trying to, in ethical terms, make bystanders feel guilty that they (creators) are whoring out in public.
Their content has better reach on Youtube, though. And has a better comment section which would be relevant to the video (which Oddysee has a problem with)
Better comment section? Youtube is basically an incel / right-wing / flatearther comment pile.
In my experience Odyssey has that too, even on unrelated videos, and they’re often liked for some reason. Atleast on Youtube you see those comments only on newest
They are wrong. Most creators don’t get paid from ads.
But it wasn’t always that way. Creators had to survive multiple crises as Youtube made sudden changes that impacted their livelihoods.
Those that survived rely on merch, patronage platforms, paid promotions, and promoting their content on other paid platforms.
id actually love to see the breakdown of channels with content by subscriber count/youtube partnership status. I suspect a very large percentage will be non monetised. speaking from experience it either takes a shitload of work to get the ability to earn literally a few dollars or you somehow get lucky with a “viral” hit. even people in my niche the “big ones” make maybe a couple hundred bucks a year in ad revenue
…yes? They do.
No, they don’t. Only a very small percentage of the videos on Youtube end up making any money for the creators.
its why even with ads they use sponsers
That’s because only a very small percentage of creators get enough views to make tangible amounts of money…probably the same ones you actually watch.
I think you need 1000 subscribers to be able to monetize your videos. That’s not an issue for the well known youtubers but the vast majority of them don’t make a penny.
Also, you watching hours of ads makes few cents for the content creator. By donating one dollar directly they’ve already made more than they ever would from ads.
Yeah, Nebula is an alternative that’s trying to grow. Think it’s creator owned too which is nice. I haven’t made the switch yet, but if I wanted to support creators directly I’d choose Nebula over YouTube. And if I could, I’d send money straight to them via Patreon or PayPal or other.
I mean I have >200 subscriptions so that would get expensive quickly.
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