8 Legit Ways to Block Ads in the YouTube App [March 2025 Guide]

If it feels like you’re seeing longer and more frequent unskippable ads on YouTube recently, you aren’t imagining things. Ads help creators earn revenue for the content they provide, but you may not want to see all of these ads coming your way. While there’s no 100% way to eliminate ads apart from paying for YouTube Premium, you can use workaround methods to improve your viewing experience.

Some of the best ad blockers offer ad and tracker blocking as well as the ability to let you see the ads from your favorite creators’ channels. In addition to our favorite ad blockers, we’ve compiled a list of other ad blocking methods. Take a look and see which one is the best for you and your device.

1. Use an ad blocker app

If you want to block YouTube ads, then what’s better than an ad blocker? We’ve tested Total Adblock with YouTube and it works really well. To block ads with Total Adblock, you’ll need to export videos from your YouTube app to the Total Adblock app on your phone. It’s a simple process we outline for you below:

1. Sign up for and download Total Adblock.
2. Sign in.
3. Open your YouTube app.
4. Choose your video.
5. Tap Share.
6. Scroll across to the More option and tap.
7. If Total Adblock doesn’t show up, scroll to the More option and tap.
8. Scroll down until you find Total Adblock and tap.
9. Enjoy your video ad free.

We tested this method on iOS and Android, and it works the same way on both.

2. Use an ad blocker browser extension

You can easily watch YouTube videos in your browser by activating a browser extension. We used Total Adblock again because we’ve tested it and know it works. There are just a few short steps to turn on your extensions and have Total Adblock work on YouTube ads:

1. Sign up for and download Total Adblock.
2. Sign in.
3. Open your browser.
4. Open your extensions manager.
5. Turn on Total Adblock’s extensions.
6. Navigate to YouTube.
7. Enjoy videos ad free.

We tested this on Safari. While there are ad blocking options for some browsers on Android, the ad blocking capabilities aren’t consistent.

3. Watch YouTube videos in the Brave browser

The Brave browser is a secure way to navigate the internet; it blocks ads and trackers for you. You can use Brave on Android and iOS devices as well as with macOS and Windows. We downloaded it onto our iPhone and pulled up an ad-free YouTube experience. Here’s how:

1. Go to your device’s app store.
2. Download the Brave browser.
3. Open the app.
4. Navigate to YouTube and enjoy.

4. Subscribe to YouTube Premium

If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you can watch videos on the site anywhere, ad free. Whether you’re a mobile user or like to watch YouTube on your smart TV, if you have a YouTube Premium subscription, you won’t have to worry about YouTube’s crackdown on ad blockers affecting your viewing experience.

The problem is that YouTube Premium is already pricey and rumored to be getting even more expensive. Using an ad blocker is usually a cheaper option per month and blocks ads across the entire internet rather than just on YouTube.

YouTube Premium plans and prices

Plan	Price
Monthly	$13.99/mo
Annual	$139.99/yr
Family	$22.99/mo
Student	1-month free trial, $7.99/mo after

5. Use YouTube Vanced or ReVanced

YouTube Vanced was a popular modded app for Android that was discontinued. ReVanced has popped up as an alternative, but you may need a little assistance using it. Reddit users have created a guide to using the platform. To download ReVanced, check out the instructions below and refer to the Reddit guide for assistance.

1. Download the ReVanced Manager from the official site.
2. Patch the YouTube app.
3. Install and enjoy ad-free content.

ReVanced may violate YouTube’s terms of service. Consider using an ad blocker or another method to remove ads from your YouTube experience.

6. Enable PiP mode and skip YouTube ads

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) isn’t just for YouTube Premium. You can activate it, although you may not be able to watch certain types of content (like music videos). If you want to activate PiP, we have iOS and Android instructions below:

iOS

1. Go to your iOS device Settings > General > Picture-in-Picture.
2. To turn on, tap Start PiP Automatically.
3. Go to your YouTube app Settings.
4. Scroll to Playback.
5. To turn on, toggle Picture-in-Picture to ON.

Android

1. Go to your Android Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Special app access > Picture-in-Picture.
2. Tap YouTube.
3. To turn on, tap Allow Picture-in-Picture.
4. Go to your YouTube app Settings > Playback.
5. Toggle Picture-in-Picture to ON.

7. Use third-party YouTube frontends

Frontends can help you avoid ads and Google tracking on your Android. There are a variety of uses, but some are built specifically for YouTube. Frontends like Invidious, Piped, FreeTube, and more can be installed to help you avoid ads on your phone.

We have to strongly urge you to be 100% certain that your download is from a trusted source before putting it on your device. Also, we recommend having some type of trusted antivirus on your phone to stop any potential malware.

1. Download from a trusted source (e.g., F-Droid).
2. Open the app and start watching ad-free content.

8. Use an ad blocking DNS service

To oversimplify a definition, Domain Name System (DNS) translates web addresses into IP addresses. By using a DNS service, you may be able to filter ads from YouTube by changing your location. This isn’t the most reliable method and may not always work because of the configuration of videos.

Services like AdGuard or NextDNS may be more reliable, but not guaranteed.

1. Go to your device’s network settings.
2. Change DNS to AdGuard or NextDNS.
3. Open YouTube.
4. Hope ads are filtered.

If you find this doesn’t work, we suggest one of the more reliable methods mentioned above.

How to disable ads on YouTube

If you want to support your favorite creators but the idea of personalized ads creeps you out, you can turn off the feature and receive ads that aren’t based on your browsing data. It’s an easy configuration and a good way to protect your privacy.

Turn off personalized YouTube ads on Android

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Channel.
4. Click Advanced settings.
5. Scroll to the bottom section Advertisements.
6. Check the box for Disable interest-based ads.

Turn off personalized YouTube ads on iOS

1. Sign in to the YouTube app.
2. Tap your profile icon.
3. Tap Settings (the gear icon).
4. Select Privacy.
5. Tap My Ad Center.
6. You’ll be prompted to confirm your Google email address or input a passcode for 2FA.
7. In the Google My Ad Center, toggle off Personalized ads.

FAQs

Bottom line: Enjoying an ad-free experience on the YouTube mobile app

There are a variety of ways to enjoy an ad-free experience with YouTube, but which one you choose is going to depend on your level of tech savviness and monthly budget. We suggest an ad blocker like Total Adblock, as it costs less than YouTube Premium and blocks ads across the web. Third-party options will also work, but they may not always be legal.

The best ad blockers stop ads and trackers but also offer whitelisting capabilities so you can continue to support your favorite creators. Not all ads are bad, but you deserve to have the choice as to when you see them.