YouTube reportedly automatically rewinds videos to the end for users who use ad blockers.
Viewers using ad-blockers, as reported by 9to5Google and complaints on Reddit, experience videos skipping to the end or getting stuck in an endless buffering loop, with replay attempts often showing the video only momentarily.
Now, Google’s latest step involves skipping videos to the end if an ad-blocker is detected. Reddit user SDHD4K posted a video showing a YouTube clip ending immediately due to an ad blocker on his phone.
Some users report that videos play without audio until the ad-blocker is removed, with sound briefly returning when adjusting the volume slider before muting again.
When the ad-blocker is removed, YouTube videos play normally. This behavior is mainly reported by users with AdBlock installed, though a few without ad-blockers have also encountered it.
Some believe YouTube is deliberately limiting ad-blocker use, while others think it might be an ad-block app issue.
YouTube vs Ad-blockers
Last October, YouTube stated that using ad-blockers violates its terms of service and prevents creators from earning revenue. In January, Google slowed down the load time of YouTube videos unless the ad-blocker was removed.
Notably, in April 2024, it intensified its measures against third-party apps equipped with blocking technology, issuing warnings about potential buffering or error messages and threatening to withdraw API access.
Nonetheless, YouTube is committed to fighting ad blockers, with its YouTube Premium service, boasting over 100 million users, reinforcing its dedication to protecting its platform, creators, and audience, and promising consequences for policy violators.