Key Takeaway
YouTube has tightened its ad‑blocker defenses as of early June 2025. Now, most blockers fail to hide ads, and you’ll see pop‑ups or blocked playback.
There are some temporary fixes, but none last. You can either watch the ads, subscribe to YouTube Premium, or look for another platform.
YouTube Just Banned Most Ad‑Blockers
In early June 2025, YouTube made a big update to stop popular ad‑blockers like uBlock and AdBlock. They fixed the tricks these extensions used, especially in Firefox and Chrome, so they no longer skip ads.
Now, a warning appears before videos start playing. You’ll see messages like “Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” or “Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service”. And now: “Experiencing interruptions? Find out why”.
This change isn’t just in one country, it’s rolling out globally. Firefox users, in particular, are seeing the effects right now.
Now, if you use uBlock Origin, it won’t skip the ad. But it will display a black screen while the ad is playing, so you don’t have to watch the ad…
What You Can Try (It Might Work… for a Bit)
| Trick | Works Sometimes? | Downsides |
|---|---|---|
| Try a different browser | Might avoid the pop‑up | Not a long‑term solution |
| Update filters in your blocker | Can stop the pop‑up briefly | YouTube changes again soon |
| Switch to tools like Surfshark CleanWeb, Ghostery, or uBlock | Some still work | All are just temporary work‑arounds |
This is turning into a cat‑and‑mouse game. YouTube updates server‑side rules, then blocker makers patch their tools, and on it goes . Each fix by blockers lasts only for a while before YouTube breaks it again.
What You Can Do Now
- Subscribe to YouTube Premium – get rid of ads for good.
- Switch browsers – works sometimes, but isn’t smooth.
- Consider quitting YouTube – some users are jumping ship.
My Thoughts
As of June 10, 2025, it’s basically a losing battle to block YouTube ads long-term.
I still use uBlock Origin because I don’t have to watch ads. I’m okay with a black screen for a few seconds.
If you still don’t want to wait, your best bet to go ad-free is Premium, or else be ready to face reminders to disable your blocker.