YouTube ads keep getting longer and more frequent. With the platform pushing more ads than ever before, users have been searching for ways to deal with the interruptions. A new workaround is making the rounds on Reddit, and it doesn’t block ads at all. Instead, it speeds them up so fast you barely notice they’re there.
A Reddit user recently shared a trick that lets desktop users crank up video playback speed way beyond YouTube’s built-in 2x limit. The method is simple. Press F12 to open your browser’s developer console, type $(‘video’).playbackRate=3 (or any number you want), and hit enter. Videos can reportedly run up to 16x faster, which turns a 30-second ad into less than two seconds.
The post picked up over 1,400 upvotes on the r/youtube subreddit, with users swapping tips on how to make the process even easier. One commenter suggested turning the JavaScript command into a bookmarklet so you can adjust playback speed with a single click.
Others pointed out that browser extensions already exist to do this automatically. The Video Speed Controller extension, for example, has been used to speed through YouTube ads without manual input.
This isn’t exactly breaking news since similar tricks popped up in late 2023, when YouTube started cracking down on traditional ad blockers. However, judging by the upvotes and comments on the recent Reddit thread, it’s clear that a good chunk of YouTube users are still not aware of this trick.
Of course, there’s no guarantee this trick will keep working. YouTube has been playing cat-and-mouse with ad workarounds for years. Some users in the Reddit thread noted that certain ad-speeding extensions have already started getting detected for the first pre-roll ad, though they still work for mid-video ads.
For now, though, anyone stuck watching ads on desktop has a way to make them go by in a flash. Whether YouTube will patch this loophole or let it slide remains to be seen.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1409 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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