Is anyone else's YouTube going abnormally slowly recently?
byu/aaronfire7 inyoutube
It looks like YouTube is at it again. Many users, especially those of us who prefer to browse the web with an ad blocker enabled, are reporting noticeable slowdowns and frustrating loading times when trying to watch videos. It’s a familiar story, one that seems to pop up every so often.
I’ve found a lot of chatter about this on Reddit in the past few days. Users on subreddits like r/firefox, r/youtube, and r/Adblock are sharing experiences that sound strikingly similar. They describe videos taking much longer to load, often displaying an “Experiencing Interruptions? Find out why” message which, ironically, leads straight to a page suggesting that ad blockers might be the culprit.
One user on r/firefox, ilangshot, posted:
When I click on videos, its very consistently slowly loading the video, showing the “Experiencing Interruptions? Find out why” button. Which hilariously opens the page right on where it suggests your adblock might be doing it. (I have ublock) I open chrome to test if I have issues there, and surprise surprise, it has no issues.
This isn’t just about a slow internet connection. Many are pointing out that if they switch to a browser without an ad blocker, or even log out of their YouTube account while keeping the ad blocker active, the videos load just fine. This strongly suggests that something specific is happening when an ad blocker is detected on a logged-in account. Another user, UselessAndUnused, on r/Adblock shared a similar observation:
It seems tied to my account. I’ve consistently found that logging out allows me to watch any and all video’s immediately, whereas being logged in makes it so that video’s take longer to load every single time. Fuck YouTube.
This whole situation follows a renewed crackdown on ad blockers by YouTube. Recently, we saw a big push where users encountered pop-ups explicitly stating that ad blockers violate YouTube’s terms of service, often preventing videos from playing altogether. We covered that news, along with some potential workarounds that helped users get back to watching their favorite creators.
Last year, a similar wave of slowdowns was reported for ad blocker users, and it seems history is repeating itself. But for those who missed it, the company also gave Android Central a statement noting that the slowdowns were not part of their efforts against ad blockers. So maybe, just maybe, it’s the same case this time around too.
Ultimately, until there’s an official statement from YouTube, everything out there is pure speculation. I’ve reached out to YouTube for a comment and will update the article if I get a response, or if there’s something else to share. That said, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1057 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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