YouTube blocking ad blockers: What you need to know

Google’s YouTube depends on advertising revenue, which should come as no surprise if you’re regularly skipping two-minute ad breaks for products you have no interest in. Ads can be so pervasive that many people have turned to blockers to watch uninterrupted. More recently, however, Google has been testing warning messages threatening to limit web playback unless people disable blockers or pay for YouTube Premium. In this guide we’ll get you up to date on the situation, and whether or not you might be impacted.

When did YouTube start blocking ad blockers?

People first started noticing warning messages in June 2023. On June 30, YouTube confirmed to Android Authority that a test was underway, and as of mid-July the test seems to be continuing. It’s not clear when the program might end or expand further.