I have been using Brave as my browser for years, I have never once seen an ad on YouTube. Nor have I ever had any of the issues that have been reported with people using ad blockers.
I’m leeching premium from a friend so no ads on pc, but because I’m getting sick and tired of all the shorts shit being pushed onto me (even play automatically when I would open the YouTube app) I’m using Grayjay on my phone instead of the official YouTube app. Never ads and it even has sponsor block. Plus you can follow creators instead of channels, across platforms. And downloading a video means you can actually watch it without a connection too. It has more perks then someone paying for premium has. Piracy pais off.
Grayjay is from Louis Rossmann, one of the biggest advocates for right to repair. It costs 10 dollars, one time payment, but if you don’t pay it also works. It’s open source. If you have an issue and mail then, they actually respond (fast) to try to solve the issue, or make changes to the app to make it better. It’s really great what they do. And YouTube hates him.
I picked up Grayjay so I can actually watch early access videos from creators I follow on Patreon. I honestly love how it seamlessly integrates multiple services around creators. Also supports Nebula, and IMO provides a nicer experience compared to the official app.
Personally I still use NewPipe (Tubular fork) for my daily viewing just because I kind of prefer that UI
On android I use Revanced. It patches the official Youtube app (patches are open source) to greatly expand the base functionality and offer a lot more customization of the UI.
For me the best features are ad block, sponsorblock (skips in video sponsored segments), and complete excision of shorts from all aspects of the app.
It also works on Youtube Music, effectively allowing free premium (just don’t get the local downloads of your most listened tracks to help save data, but I have unlimited anyway).
I am honestly not against in-video sponsorships because it’s at least vetted by the creator and I can hold them accountable if they push garbage. Also it’s negotiated by them, not some trickle from google. At some point these folks need to get paid.
They get paid whether sponsored sections of the video are skipped or not though, which is the beauty of sponsorblock. Sometimes the sponsor sections are high effort though and worth watching.
Meh sometimes I see a thing I actually want to know about and nothing helps a creator more than using their affiliate links/codes. It’s how they keep getting good sponsors. Even better when I see them promoting something I was already interested in or currently use. It’s an easy way for me to give back to them without having to pay directly. Though I am also happy to sometimes just pay people I like.
Also firefox + ublock, but for me, it literally makes YouTube unusable. As in videos just flat out will not play in any way. I just get an endlessly loading spinner for the video
I have this problem or it will play for like 3 seconds and then buffer for a bit, play 3 seconds, buffer, repeat for infinity. No matter what I do I have one of these issues with Firefox and any adblocker and it’s super annoying.
Same, that combination never causes me any problems (I use uMatrix too which is always causing problems, but I get to decide which domains to allow cookies, scripts, and XHR requests from/to).
I mean they did also inject affiliate links without the users noticing which is really shady behaviour from a browser because it has one job, open the link I click and nothing else. But that’s just IMHO if that is acceptable for you personally then there is no issue with that.
Wow missed that entirely. That’s messed up. I’m a Mac user so I guess that’s why I didn’t realize it. The way my machine is set up I would’ve known and deleted them immediately.
It’s not so much shady as 1) crypto BS incorporated into it and 2) the CEO is homophobic IIRC.
The “crypto BS” also encompasses running a protection racket whereby Brave man-in-the-middles website ads to replace them with its own, then shakes down the website owners to buy into said crypto BS if they want their lost revenue back.
That counts as shady in my book: an end-user has every right to control what their computer (their property) does, but the third-party interference for the third-party’s benefit crosses the line.
I haven’t found any that actively and effectively put privacy front and center while also working basically just as good as chrome (compatibility wise).
My friend I almost never say this, but you need to calm down. I open a chromium browser two or three times a year. My line of work requires it. I am all in on Firefox.
WIth user agent switcher, you can use firefox for the sites that make you use chrome. Hasn’t failed me yet with the three sites I need to use that would not work on firefox without it.
It’s more about checking compatibility/troubleshooting in my line of work. If something doesn’t work first thing we do is cycle web browsers to see if it’s unique to one or more or if it’s consistent. Spoofing agent doesn’t answer the question properly.
I have been using Brave as my browser for years, I have never once seen an ad on YouTube. Nor have I ever had any of the issues that have been reported with people using ad blockers.
I’m using firefox + ublock origin and have never had the reported issues either.
Best setup by far. Changed my internet experience for the better in so many ways.
Folks should also get freetube
I’m leeching premium from a friend so no ads on pc, but because I’m getting sick and tired of all the shorts shit being pushed onto me (even play automatically when I would open the YouTube app) I’m using Grayjay on my phone instead of the official YouTube app. Never ads and it even has sponsor block. Plus you can follow creators instead of channels, across platforms. And downloading a video means you can actually watch it without a connection too. It has more perks then someone paying for premium has. Piracy pais off.
Shorts are the bane of my ADHD ass
I’m going to have to look into Greyjay for sure just for the no shorts part
Yeah I hear ya, same here. Fuck shorts.
Grayjay is from Louis Rossmann, one of the biggest advocates for right to repair. It costs 10 dollars, one time payment, but if you don’t pay it also works. It’s open source. If you have an issue and mail then, they actually respond (fast) to try to solve the issue, or make changes to the app to make it better. It’s really great what they do. And YouTube hates him.
https://grayjay.app/
TIL Louis Rossmann somehow more based than I believed
I picked up Grayjay so I can actually watch early access videos from creators I follow on Patreon. I honestly love how it seamlessly integrates multiple services around creators. Also supports Nebula, and IMO provides a nicer experience compared to the official app.
Personally I still use NewPipe (Tubular fork) for my daily viewing just because I kind of prefer that UI
On android I use Revanced. It patches the official Youtube app (patches are open source) to greatly expand the base functionality and offer a lot more customization of the UI.
For me the best features are ad block, sponsorblock (skips in video sponsored segments), and complete excision of shorts from all aspects of the app.
It also works on Youtube Music, effectively allowing free premium (just don’t get the local downloads of your most listened tracks to help save data, but I have unlimited anyway).
I am honestly not against in-video sponsorships because it’s at least vetted by the creator and I can hold them accountable if they push garbage. Also it’s negotiated by them, not some trickle from google. At some point these folks need to get paid.
They get paid whether sponsored sections of the video are skipped or not though, which is the beauty of sponsorblock. Sometimes the sponsor sections are high effort though and worth watching.
Meh sometimes I see a thing I actually want to know about and nothing helps a creator more than using their affiliate links/codes. It’s how they keep getting good sponsors. Even better when I see them promoting something I was already interested in or currently use. It’s an easy way for me to give back to them without having to pay directly. Though I am also happy to sometimes just pay people I like.
This is the way.
Also firefox + ublock, but for me, it literally makes YouTube unusable. As in videos just flat out will not play in any way. I just get an endlessly loading spinner for the video
I have had that happen a few on desktop if I left a video paused overnight, but refreshing the page sorted it out right away.
Sadly, refreshing doesn’t help me either. I’ve tried.
yewtu.be
It sometimes happens for me as well
Usually I can get to the vid if I go to the channel and try again. Or trying again a little while later.
It’s fuckin annoying when it trips
Try an extension to spoof your browser agent.
I set mine to spoof Chrome and my Firefox + ublock stopped having any issues with YouTube.
Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll give that a try!
I have this problem or it will play for like 3 seconds and then buffer for a bit, play 3 seconds, buffer, repeat for infinity. No matter what I do I have one of these issues with Firefox and any adblocker and it’s super annoying.
I used to get that, but now I don’t even get that few seconds.
Same, that combination never causes me any problems (I use uMatrix too which is always causing problems, but I get to decide which domains to allow cookies, scripts, and XHR requests from/to).
Don’t use brave, they’re shady. LibreWolf with uBlock Origin is plenty.
It’s not so much shady as 1) crypto BS incorporated into it and 2) the CEO is homophobic IIRC.
It does what it does well but I only keep it as chromium browser for when I absolutely need one. Firefox/Mullvad browser are my daily drivers.
Edit: ehhh brave actually has done more sketchy things than I realized
I mean they did also inject affiliate links without the users noticing which is really shady behaviour from a browser because it has one job, open the link I click and nothing else. But that’s just IMHO if that is acceptable for you personally then there is no issue with that.
Wasn’t aware of that. I open brave like every 4 months. That’s not cool for sure
You forgot the VPN service they install without consent.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/20/23925192/brave-browser-vpn-windows-11
Wow missed that entirely. That’s messed up. I’m a Mac user so I guess that’s why I didn’t realize it. The way my machine is set up I would’ve known and deleted them immediately.
Still waiting?
I do turn off all the rewards and other BS in the browser, but I will look into Firefox and uBlock. Thank you.
It’s a great combo and the sync between phone/computer with Firefox is excellent
The “crypto BS” also encompasses running a protection racket whereby Brave man-in-the-middles website ads to replace them with its own, then shakes down the website owners to buy into said crypto BS if they want their lost revenue back.
That counts as shady in my book: an end-user has every right to control what their computer (their property) does, but the third-party interference for the third-party’s benefit crosses the line.
I’ve already updated my initial comment as I’m sure you’ve seen.
Any reason for picking it over all the other chromium browsers?
It blocks in line ads and trackers, that’s why I have been using it.
I haven’t found any that actively and effectively put privacy front and center while also working basically just as good as chrome (compatibility wise).
Ungoogled chromium with some privacy extensions would probably be a similar experience.
Waterfox…
That’s not chromium-based it’s a Firefox fork.
Good. Every chromium-based browser is evil because it’s Chromium based and therefore helps enable Google’s disastrous web hegemony.
If you think Firefox’s lack of 100% compatibility with Google’s self-serving bullshit is a bug instead of a feature, you’re part of the problem.
My friend I almost never say this, but you need to calm down. I open a chromium browser two or three times a year. My line of work requires it. I am all in on Firefox.
Oh yeah. My bad.
All gravy. We all make mistakes. This shit moves fast lol
Firefox with user agent switcher addon.
You can’t properly troubleshoot with that. At some point you have to cross reference browsers. So I do safari, Firefox, edge, and a chromium option.
WIth user agent switcher, you can use firefox for the sites that make you use chrome. Hasn’t failed me yet with the three sites I need to use that would not work on firefox without it.
It’s more about checking compatibility/troubleshooting in my line of work. If something doesn’t work first thing we do is cycle web browsers to see if it’s unique to one or more or if it’s consistent. Spoofing agent doesn’t answer the question properly.
I’m confident its people using Chrome with Adblock Plus
I’ve had this issue where youtube is sort of breaking for me, but it shouldn’t matter because I very begrudgingly pay for Youtube Premium.
(I’m not extremely tech savvy to the point where it’s easy for me to set up a raspberry pi or whatever to watch youtube in bed on my tv OK?)
Anyways, sometimes it like, gets weird and the video player gets stuck at 0:00 and loops like 3 seconds of the video.