YouTube makes videos skip to end for ad-blocker users, prompting frustration among viewers

1 month ago | 28 Views

YouTube's crackdown on adblocker users has taken a new turn, leaving many frustrated as videos mysteriously skip to their endings. In recent months, the platform has escalated efforts to deter ad-blocker usage. Initially, users encountered prompts urging them to disable their ad-blockers to watch videos. Ignoring these requests led to videos refusing to play altogether, prompting users to either uninstall their ad-blockers or seek alternative solutions.

Videos Fast-Forwarding to Endings

However, a fresh issue emerged this week: YouTube videos abruptly fast-forward to their conclusions for many ad-blocker users. Whether restarting the video or attempting to skip to a specific segment, the outcome remains the same ? an instant leap to the finale. This peculiar behaviour seems exclusive to users with ad-blockers enabled; once disabled, videos play smoothly without interruptions.

Endless Loading Loops

The glitch extends beyond video initiation, with users reporting endless loading loops when trying to navigate within a video. Speculation arises as to whether YouTube deliberately engineers these setbacks to discourage ad-blocker usage. While plausible, there's a chance the issue stems from the ad-blockers themselves.

Earlier this year, a bug in AdBlock caused sluggish video loading, blamed initially on YouTube. Interestingly, most affected users now predominantly use AdBlock, with other ad-blockers showing no such anomalies. Though isolated cases exist without adblockers, they constitute a minority.

For affected users, frustration mounts as videos prematurely conclude or loop endlessly, rendering the platform nearly unusable. This dilemma forces a choice between enduring ads by disabling ad-blockers or switching to alternatives that don't disrupt viewing.

In short, whether YouTube engineers these issues or they originate from specific ad-blockers remains uncertain. What's evident is users are caught in the crossfire between YouTube and ad-blockers, resulting in a disrupted viewing experience. Currently, disabling ad-blockers appears the most pragmatic solution, but vigilance is necessary for future updates or remedies.