Frustrating YouTube Ad Changes for Mobile Users: What You Need to Know

YouTube has quietly rolled out some updates regarding advertisements on its mobile app, leading many users to express their growing frustration.

In recent months, YouTube has made several controversial modifications to its advertising approach, with each change sparking heated discussions among its audience.

In September, the video-sharing giant finally introduced pause-screen advertisements after years of speculation. Shortly afterward, they increased the subscription fee for YouTube Premium, which allows users to enjoy content without interruptions from ads.

Most recently, YouTube has made additional tweaks to mobile advertising that have displeased many users.

According to reports from Androidpolice and comments from users on Reddit’s r/YouTube, the mobile version of the app has started to obscure the “skip ad” button and the duration of various advertisements. In some instances, users only see the button after a certain delay.

One user remarked, “I initially thought it was just a glitch; however, on different devices, I had to click on the video ad itself to see the duration and the skip option.”

YouTube concealing ad duration and the skip button on mobile by u/One4speed in youtube

Other users voiced their concerns regarding these changes, with one stating, “I encountered this issue and ended up not skipping the ad until much later because I couldn’t determine how long it had been. Is this a strategic move?”

Another user vented, “This has happened to me numerous times; I just wish I could give YouTube a good piece of my mind.”

These updates coincide with YouTube’s decision to obscure the “skip ad” button on desktop versions by overlaying it with a gray square.

While YouTube has not completely removed the “skip ad” option, many viewers are concerned that this trend indicates Google’s increasing inclination to monetize its widely-used video platform.

Earlier in June, YouTube attempted to neutralize adblockers by introducing a feature aimed at preventing users from effectively distinguishing and filtering ads.

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