Goodbye Youtube and thanks for all the fish

Youtube let the other shoe drop in their end-stage enshittification this week. Last month, they required you to turn on Youtube History to view the feed of youtube videos recommendations. That seems reasonable, so I did it. But I delete my history every 1 week instead of every 3 months. So they don’t get much from my choices. It still did a pretty good job of showing me stuff I was interested in watching.

Then on Oct 1, they threw up a “You’re using an Ad Blocker” overlay on videos. I’d use my trusty Overlay Remover plugin to remove the annoying javascript graphic and watch what I wanted. I didn’t have to click the X to dismiss the obnoxious page.

Last week, they started placing a timer with the X so you had to wait 5 seconds for the X to appear so you could dismiss blocking graphic.

Today, there was a new graphic. It allowed you to view three videos before you had to turn off your Ad Blocker. I viewed a video 3 times just to see what happens.

Now all I see is this.

Google has out and out made it a violation of their ToS to have an ad blocker to view Youtube. Or you can pay them $$$.

I ban such sites from my systems by replacing their DNS name in my hosts file routed to 127.0.0.1 which means I can’t view the site. I have quite a few banned sites now.

hunt4peas,

PC: Install Firefox. Then install these extensions: Sponsorblock for YouTube, Enhancer for YouTube, uBlock Origins with all the filters turned on except the language filters (you can use them if you wish) and Return YouTube Dislike. Keep uBlock Filters updated by checking for filter updates once a day.

Android: There’s Revanced. I use pre-built apks along with Vanced MicroG from RVX Lite in Telegram.

Android TV: Install SmartTubeNext.

Enjoy.

Yoru,

any iOS suggestions?

lackthought,
@lackthought@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

I use safari with an adblocker extension (AdGuard) on ios

youtube works just fine in a browser, the youtube app sucks anyway

SnowdenHeroOfOurTime,

Use a product not designed to remove all control from you as its number one core design principle

Yoru,

ok but I like the iPad. Great hardware

xts,

Use Altstore and sideload uYouPlus

hunt4peas,

This is the best an iOS user can do I think. Does Firefox exist in App Store? If yes, if it doesn’t use Safari as base, it might be supporting extensions. Never had an iPhone so don’t know much about it.

Jck2905,

Slightly better, instead of Altstore get your device registered on the apple developer program (there are cheap ways of doing this) then you can sign as many sideloaded apps as you want and they stay working without having to constantly connect altserver.

xts,

It uses Safari as a base, for now. Hoping that with the EU forcing other app stores or sideloading we get full Firefox on iOS. Would be amazing.

I remember seeing something saying they were testing a full build for iOS a while back. They essentially have one feature complete with the macOS Apple Silicon version as well.

sorrybookbroke,

Invidious has still been working for me too, though I’ll be clear I’m also using firefox

DNOS,

Hey I had a lot of problem with invidious how can u mitigate the long loading times and what about the front page … it changes content maybe once a day yeah I know I probably consume too much yt but it’s pretty annoying to search for content manually…

sorrybookbroke,

Sorry for the delayed responce, but yeah I understand if it’s not working for you it might not be a great option sadly.

If that’s happening, I’d try a few different instances. Try inv.tux.pizza which works well for me. I do sometimes have to click the address bar and then enter though instead of just reloading, which is also strange

DNOS,

Thanks I will definitely give it a shot I’m tired of yt policies (eventhow thanks to various addblock its normal for now … )

Plopp,

Another tip: For security reasons, always install the absolute minimum number of browser extensions you can get by with. And only from devs you trust.

ScrambleVerdict,

Alternative for Android

hunt4peas,

That works as well.

q47tx,

deleted_by_author

    •
    SnowdenHeroOfOurTime,

    People always recommend this, freetube, revanced, etc. When I looked into these, each one either did not work or seemed complicated to setup so I said screw it.

    I’m just curious… why not use Firefox and install ublock origin? Even if you’ve never used Firefox before the whole setup process would still be far easier and it works 100% of the time.

    simonced,

    Here is my take on this.

    First, I am with OP on this, but with mild counter points:

    • I block ads because they are intrusive, contain scam and viruses
    • I don’t want to pay YT because I am already the product, and my trust is long gone about them saying they respect my privacy
    • "Hosting is expensive" is what we hear left and right but…
      • letting people upload many hours long is not what YT was supposed to be,
      • 4K vids and up are huge, so is HDR, do we really need such fat video files/streams? I don’t…
      • for those who need 2000inch TV size quality, yeah, they want to charge those.
    • I would be OK to pay, but google will rise the price eventually and it feels like changing a contrcat I signed to begin with and I dan’t agree with that. (price raising reason are the previous points above, I am not concerned by those and I don’t see why I should pay that much)
    • I am a google pixel user, google already got some of my money anyway, which I am happy with.

    In the same vein, I wait Netflix to raise their price again (I bit the bullet twice) but there won’t be a third time.
    Same for Spotify.

    Those services should realize they are not essential, just bare useful, and should be priced as such.

    Just my 2cts.

    RaineV1,

    While I can agree with the 4K argument a bit for the hosting is expensive part, I do think it goes way beyond that or long videos. Youtube exists on a scale most don't even realize. Tens of millions of people upload content every day. We're talking thousands of hours worth of video every day.

    Not to excuse YouTube for a lot of dumb decisions they made, but even on their best day the site just breaks even due to the cost of hosting.

    simonced,

    Reading your comment made me realize something important.

    Creators should pay the hosting of the files (at a reasonnable rate of course), so the longer and higher quality they want to upload, they have to pay a little fee. Now, it’ll certainly skim off the stupid random uploads that nobody need, and lower storage cost of useless videos. (I only have a couple of vids, I don’t mind paying for the storage to keep them live, and I stop paying, they are free to delete them, no problem)

    Next, viewers should pay for the streaming, which is legit anyway, why not, as far as it is at a - yet again - reasonable price.

    This should make the plateform content of better quality without all the shit posts, then less ads for the free viewers if reasonable would be enough.

    Problem is Google is greedy beyond return, they’ll never take a good decision that favorites us instead of them.

    My opinion anyway.

    pewgar_seemsimandroid,

    Nebula

    bioemerl,

    I don’t want to pay YT because

    I started paying them and they jacked up the prices the next month leaving like 12 dollars stranded in my account because I use a gift card. Fuck their premium subscription.

    sic_semper_tyrannis,

    Try using FreeTube

    INHALE_VEGETABLES,

    Revanced

    Killercat103,
    @Killercat103@infosec.pub avatar

    LibreTube

    DavePlayer,

    NewPipe

    foggy,

    Search for these on GitHub not Google.

    Google has a vested interest in not doing much about bad actors getting their malware to the top of those search results.

    BlackSam,

    NewPipe with SponsorBlock github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe

    Bandicoot_Academic,

    SmartTubeNext

    beneeney,
    @beneeney@lemm.ee avatar

    PornHub

    pewgar_seemsimandroid,

    skip

    pewgar_seemsimandroid,

    clipious

    smileyhead, (edited )

    As long as Google won’t block them too. I encurage you all to leave a message for you favourite creators that you are going to watch them even on different platform.

    BattleGrown,
    @BattleGrown@lemmy.world avatar

    They cant do it, it uses the original apk and add patches on top of it

    smileyhead,

    SafetyNet is now a thing. I bet Google won’t turn it on for YouTube, but there are possibilities to at least make usage of this type of apps limited to only most stubborn of people.

    Hovenko,
    @Hovenko@iusearchlinux.fyi avatar

    SOLUTION:

    • just right click on the message and ‘block element’ :D

    or paste this to your filters: www.youtube.com#-yt-paper-dialog.ytd-popup-container.style-scope www.youtube.com##.opened

    Porka_911,

    As a premium subscriber for many years, I and my family really get value. I do pay in UAH though.

    Usernameblankface,
    @Usernameblankface@lemmy.world avatar

    I just got this for the first time today. I was able to dismiss it and go on to watch ad blocked YouTube on Firefox, but I wonder how much longer this will be an option. Nebula and Curiosity Stream are looking really good right now.

    0Xero0,
    @0Xero0@lemmy.world avatar

    I just got this popup today too, but only in Brave, it doesn’t show up in Firefox and LibreWolf at all and I use uBlock Origin for all of them. Looks like it’s just a Chromium thing. I mainly use Firefox anyway, I only use Brave as a music player at work because I have too many FF tabs opened in 3 windows already.

    iloverocks,

    I don’t know what website you are listening to but if you can always use Firefox or one of its forks librewolf is Firefox made more perfect imao

    You could also use the native program ex. Spotify etc.

    0Xero0,
    @0Xero0@lemmy.world avatar

    I just listen to Youtube

    iloverocks,

    You could use freetube

    Heisenburner,

    I tried to watch a stream uploaded on YouTube and they put adrolls every 5 minutes, for a 3+ hour video. It was unwatchable. Sucks that pretty much every site is fucking over its users lately. Maybe it’s a sign I should just get away from the internet for a while.

    kzhe,

    But I delete my history every 1 week instead of every 3 months. So they don’t get much from my choices. It still did a pretty good job of showing me stuff I was interested in watching.

    Why are you not using a Piped or Invidious instance?

    kzhe,

    You weren’t on Piped or Invidious already? /hj

    Heavybell,
    @Heavybell@lemmy.world avatar

    Wait, what’s Youtube History?

    jayands,

    As in, the history of all the videos you’ve watched on the site

    Heavybell,
    @Heavybell@lemmy.world avatar

    That’s a thing that exists and can be turned on and off? :P

    ryannathans,

    Use an alternative front end like piped.video

    You may want to try various instances (in preferences) as the main one has been under a lot of load

    Deemo,

    Silly question if you don’t mind me asking, when you got the pop up:

    • Which browser/adblocker where you using (also did you use any custom filters)?
    • What device are you watching youtube on when you saw the block (windows, macos, ios, android, linux)?
    • Where are you located? (like which country)

    I never saw these popups just curious.

    Also my setups using a web browser (no issues):

    • (Mac OS Soma) Firefox Stable with ublock origen stock filters
    • (iPadOS 17) with adguard safari content blocker stock filters

    Setups with third part clients (no issues):

    • Revanced android
    • Smarttube (Fire TV)
    • YTLitePlus (iPadOS)
    Maddie47,

    Love a good Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy reference.

    15liam20,

    Actually, it’s a reference to the third book. I forget its title.

    lath,

    uBlock Origin is quite apt in not showing any of that. I am thankful for the creator’s attentiveness.

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