[loloquwowndueo]

The ridiculous amount of ads is what’s made me basically not use YouTube unless I really really need to.

On my computer I have an ad blocker which makes it more tolerable but then there’s the added friction of “ugh I have to go start the computer and sit down yadda yadda”.

I could pay for a mobile ad blocker so I could watch crap on my phone. But then again - it is mostly crap so why bother. Perfectly fine with less YouTube in my life.

[pbasista]

You seem to suggest that you have a device which does not allow you to watch YouTube videos on it without ads. Is that the case?

The uBlock Origin browser extension removes all YouTube ads. It works fine on Firefox, even on mobile. With Chrome, it is possible to use the "lite" version of this extension that seems to block at least the YouTube ads without issue.

On Android, there are several apps which can do it, for example NewPipe or Grayjay. At least NewPipe works fine on Android TVs as well. Also on Android TVs, it is possible to use Kodi with YouTube and InputStream Adaptive add-ons which can also be used to watch YouTube without ads.

I would avoid buying devices which claim to support YouTube but do not allow watching it without ads, for whatever reason.

[loloquwowndueo]

I have the YouTube app on iOS. I never found a way to remove ads other than paying (lol). Then again - I didn’t look too hard as by then I’d already realized 99% of YouTube content is crap anyway. Sure I could install a combination of apps that would let me watch ad-free. But at this point I’m weaned off - better off without the damn thing.

[-__---____-ZXyw]

Absolutely. People waste their lives away watching it, pointing and clicking for the advertisers, but hey, at least they're more clever than the slobs watching TV, right?

[netsharc]

If it's Android, you can install NewPipe.

For my Kodi box that is connected to a 24" monitor in my bedroom, the Youtube plugin used to work, but it got slower and slower. I've now created a PHP wrapper to yt-dlp, I load the webpage (hosted on my NAS) on my phone, paste the video URL, click download, and a while later the video is an MP4 video stored on my NAS, ready to view on Kodi.

[201984]

On Android, you can also use Firefox with uBlock Origin.

[rot256]

PipePipe? https://pipepipe.dev/

EDIT: also skips sponsor segments.

[-__---____-ZXyw]

Seconded, pipepipe is excellent

[yodsanklai]

Well, just pay for the subscription. It gives you youtube music as well, and you can share it with several other people. It just a few bucks a month, totally worth it.

[openplatypus]

I have YT Premium, still have to skip through ads (sponsored blocks in creators videos).

There are few great creators without them, but these ranks are shrinking fast.

[Drakim]

Check out the browser extension SponsorBlock which automatically skips over the length of such inline sponsorships (database is maintained manually but does a great job).

[gardnr]

We must have different definitions of "a few bucks"...

[yodsanklai]

It's $23 for 5 persons. I share it with several friends.

[eqvinox]

The problem isn't the ads, the problem is the (suggested) content. (And the ads.)

[Jotalea]

Youtube Premium -> NewPipe

Youtube Music (Premium too) -> RiMusic

13.99 -> free

[usui]

There it is, the "Just pay for YouTube" person inevitably shows up like usual on HN YouTube threads.

OP addressed this already: "But then again - it is mostly crap so why bother. Perfectly fine with less YouTube in my life."

[thunky]

Odd take. YouTube has just about anything you might be interested in, in abundance. Even if it is "mostly crap" there would probably still be more non-crap than you could consume in your lifetime.

[bgwalter]

Why would you want your credit card and real name connected to your consumption history?

Watch too much Daily Wire? Good luck with your Google interview.

Want to enter the US on a visa? Perhaps they'll demand your YouTube history next.

[joquarky]

The absence of history is also conspicuous.

[1317]

laughing at all the sibling replies completely missing the point