Google warns users of these apps that their experience may deteriorate soon. They may “experience buffering issues” or see errors such as “the following content is not available on this app” when trying to watch videos.

Similar to Google Search, ads have become insufferable for many users of the service. There are too many of them, they may break the viewing experience, and they may show inappropriate content.

YouTube Premium is expensive. What weights more for some users is that its functionality is severely limited when compared to third-party apps.

The cat and mouse game continues.

For those looking to avoid ads or improve privacy, here are some options for free, open source, privacy-friendly frontends to YouTube without advertisements:

https://www.privacyguides.org/en/frontends/#youtube

      • @ElmerFudd@lemmy.world
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        125 months ago

        Yeah let me fork over my rapidly disappearing regular people money for a service which used to be free, whose price will only keep going up, and whose features will only keep disappearing to be locked behind a higher tier of paid subscription, thus giving me less and less, for more and more payment. You meet me over there. Let me just grab my little red wig and honk my nose a few times first and I’ll be right over.

        • @RealFknNito@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          The service was never fucking free you goober it always had ads. Since the moment it expanded beyond a couple dozen 240p videos, it had ads. You know what they did though? Tried to pay the people you watch so they could make a living giving you content. But yes throw a fucking tantrum that you have to pay the website so they can stay running and pay the people so they can earn that “regular people money” you ignorant fuckwit. YouTube still, to this day, doesn’t make a profit and still comes at an expense to Google/Alphabet.

          You’ve been comfortable in that red wig and nose for way too long already.

          • @ElmerFudd@lemmy.world
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            25 months ago

            Yes, I’m the “ignorant fuckwit” who is “throwing a tantrum”. Read above and behold me being immature, for the crime of calling out the poor little giant corporation who reportedly generated $31.5 BILLION dollars last year. Clearly they’re just trying to keep the lights on, and not kowtowing to investors whose sole, stated goal, is to buy low, and cash out when line goes up. I’m the fuckwit for pointing out that this shouldn’t be the system we’re all just okay with accepting. Clearly.

      • @APassenger@lemmy.world
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        55 months ago

        There’s multiple issues with this but a lot of them come down to: it’s Google.

        They will charge. They have heaps of money, they will enzhittify. They will kill and recommend a new less capable app.

        They’re Google and I’m moving away from them hard.

        I do use YT a lot, and for now I pay. But give me a little time and that won’t be as true.

          • @APassenger@lemmy.world
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            25 months ago

            I was simply explaining why I’m bailing on them.

            Google graveyard has happened. YT makes them a lot of money, so it’s not likely destined there. But, like search, they will eventually make it more about $ extraction than value for the customer.

            It hasn’t happened yet. Early adopters and early leavers shape things.

            • @atrielienz@lemmy.world
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              25 months ago

              Ads don’t support YouTube. Actually if you have premium that does a better job supporting both YouTube and the creators because they get paid more per view with premium than they would with ads. That’s why google pushes premium so hard and is bundling it with the services it thinks it can get away with.

              What you’re describing has basically already happened and the ads are getting worse because they just don’t provide enough income.

        • @RealFknNito@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Does it even pay the people you watch? No… wait… it just freeloads off YouTube by piping that content to their site.

          • @Manmoth@lemmy.ml
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            35 months ago

            it just freeloads

            I watch a number of creators that YT has demonetized so I’m not worried about it.

            YT can clearly see what people want in these apps. They simply need to provide the exact same functionality and set a price. They won’t though because they want control and data as well.

      • @baru@lemmy.world
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        25 months ago

        But that doesn’t get rid of the ads, it just get rid of some. Sponsorblock would still be needed. Why pay a huge amount for something ineffective?

        • @RealFknNito@lemmy.world
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          -75 months ago

          To. Support. The. Creators. I. Watch.

          Use sponsorblock then, I sure as hell do. My main goal is to get rid of as many problems as possible and creators not getting paid enough is on that list.

          So I buy premium. I participate in the system because a tantrum doesn’t fix it.

          • @baru@lemmy.world
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            25 months ago

            To. Support. The. Creators. I. Watch.

            Did you ask those creators how much money they get? Loads of them make way more from inserting advertisements themselves.

            It’s also telling that you’re saying it’s about supporting those creators while responding negatively towards the person who blocks ads and gives money directly.