GoKawiilShimul Sood / Android Authority
Imagine you’re watching a YouTube video, completely invested in what’s happening, and then an ad suddenly interrupts. It’s annoying every single time, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. I’d much rather install an ad blocker in a few minutes than pay for YouTube Premium just to avoid ads.
The only downside is that YouTube has been getting increasingly aggressive about ad blockers, often showing warnings or refusing to play videos. I was almost ready to give up on ads and live with them until I came across DuckDuckGo’s new free ad blocker option. I decided to give it a shot, and guess what? It worked.
If you’re tired of YouTube constantly nagging you about ad blockers, here’s how you can get it working on your device, too.
How do you deal with YouTube ads? 471 votes I use an ad blocker. 35 % I pay for YouTube Premium. 31 % I just put with them. 21 % I've stopped using YouTube. 13 %
How to block YouTube ads with DuckDuckGo
Shimul Sood / Android Authority
Before I tell you more about what it was actually like using this, let’s get you set up first.
If you’re using a Mac, Windows PC, or an iPhone, you’re in luck. YouTube ad blocking is already enabled by default in the latest version of the DuckDuckGo browser, so there’s nothing you need to configure. Just make sure the browser app is up to date, open YouTube, and start watching your videos as you normally would.
Android users have one extra step, though. DuckDuckGo says YouTube ad blocking will be enabled by default on Android “soon,” but until then, you’ll need to turn it on manually. Update the app to the latest version, then follow these steps: Open the DuckDuckGo app on your Android phone. Open a new tab and tap the three-line menu (hamburger icon) in the top-right corner. Tap Settings. Scroll down to Other Settings and select YouTube ad-blocking. Turn on the Block Ads on YouTube toggle.
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