Is YouTube loading slow on your device? Here’s what you should do next

Also Read| YouTube declares war on Ad-Blockers: View ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium

YouTube began a crackdown on ad blockers in June as a limited test, prompting users with ad blockers to either allow ads on YouTube or consider paying for a YouTube Premium subscription while watching their favourite videos.

Now, however, the company appears to have gone a step further and introduced a five-second delay before a video loads for users who use an ad blocker to view the video streaming service. Google has gone so far as to say that users using an adblocker will experience “suboptimal viewing” regardless of the browser they use.

In a statement to Android Authority, YouTube said, “To support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favorite content on YouTube, we’ve launched an effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad free experience. Users who have ad blockers installed may experience suboptimal viewing, regardless of the browser they are using.”

Moreover, YouTube communications manager Christopher Lawton told The Verge that disabling the ad blocker should resolve the issue for users. However, some users may still experience a temporary delay in loading the webpage until their browser has refreshed.

How is YouTube’s crackdown affecting ad blockers?

According to a Wired report from earlier this month, Google’s strategy of cracking down on ad blockers seems to be working and leading to hundreds of thousands uninstalling the ad blockers in October. However, the report notes that there was also a record number of ad blocker installations with people looking for alternatives that could bypass Google’s premium subscription pop-up. 

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Updated: 22 Nov 2023, 11:46 AM IST