YouTube has always been funded by advertising and premium subscriptions, but it has been relatively easy for users to block these ads using various browser extensions. However, YouTube's recent measures to counteract this have caused significant backlash.
Many users have expressed their frustration, especially with the new YouTube pop-up message that appears for those using ad blockers, as noted in one Reddit post. Numerous online publications and videos offer ways to bypass this pop-up. But interestingly, the Windows Phone operating system has also become a solution to this problem, Windows Central reports.
Google's lack of support for the Windows Phone operating system was a significant factor in the decline of Microsoft's smartphone platform. Not only did Google not support it, but it actively prevented third parties from accessing it. Microsoft even created its own YouTube app for Windows Phone, but Google blocked it. Now, however, the long-closed operating system is striking back.
So, ad blockers violate YouTube ToS? Good, because user agent spoofers don't.
— Enderman (@endermanch) October 20, 2023
Change your user agent to Windows Phone to disable ads.https://t.co/mDOROwyNkT pic.twitter.com/q0kYArnOk6
A user agent is essentially an identifier that reveals the device, browser version, and operating system being used. For now, switching to the Windows Phone user agent seems to effectively eliminate the YouTube pop-up, allowing for uninterrupted, ad-free viewing. Additionally, some users have found that the uBlock Origin extension still works effectively for YouTube on both Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
However, this workaround may be temporary, as Google may consider and fix this loophole. However, for now, Windows Phone, which was closed down also because of Google's reluctance to offer YouTube and other popular applications on this platform, has the last laugh.
The online community's dissatisfaction with YouTube's new approach has been widely publicized. While the pop-up is currently only an annoyance, as it can be closed to continue watching, there is growing concern that YouTube may soon completely block users with ad blockers from accessing videos. This move would mirror Netflix's successful strategy of limiting password sharing while increasing the number of subscribers.