AI I just found a free way to watch YouTube without ads — and it doesn’t require YouTube Premium News By Amanda Caswell Published 8 July 2026 A built-in way to block YouTube ads, but how long will it last? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works . (Image credit: Future/Gemini edit) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter If you don’t have a Premium YouTube subscription , you already know that the ads on the platform seem to be getting longer and far more frequent. Even worse in my opinion, is that the ads seem less skippable these days. But as someone who isn’t ready to have yet another streaming subscription, I’ve just discovered there’s a new option. Privacy-focused browser maker DuckDuckGo has introduced built-in YouTube ad blocking for its browser, allowing users to watch most YouTube videos without seeing ads. Unlike traditional browser extensions, the feature is integrated directly into the browser itself, giving users another way to avoid ads as support for some older ad blockers continues to disappear. A different approach to blocking YouTube ads (Image credit: DuckDuckGo) Most people who block YouTube ads rely on browser extensions. But over the past year, those tools have become less reliable as Google has continued changing how ads are delivered and Chrome has phased out older extension technology. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: DuckDuckGo, already a fan favorite for those who don’t want AI Overviews , is taking a different approach to ads by building ad blocking directly into its browser. According to the company, the feature uses community-maintained filter lists based on the same project that powers many popular ad blockers, along with additional compatibility improvements developed by DuckDuckGo. The company says the feature should block ads on most YouTube videos, although it warns users may occasionally encounter buffering, playback glitches or videos where ads still appear while the filtering rules catch up with changes made by YouTube. You may like YouTube now lets you hide Shorts completely — here’s how to turn them off So long, YouTube Premium! This feature is now completely free for millions of users Google Chrome’s next update could kill ad blockers for good — here’s how How to enable YouTube ad blocking (Image credit: Getty Images) If you already use the DuckDuckGo browser, enabling the feature is straightforward: Update to the latest version of the browser. Tom’s Guide: Direct to Your Inbox Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Open Settings . Turn on YouTube Ad Blocking . Restart the browser if prompted. What to read next Ditching Google AI? Here’s how to master DuckDuckGo’s no-AI search engine Ask YouTube ‘entirely reimagines’ how you find videos — here’s how it works YouTube Premium just got a massive 50% discount for a limited time only — but there’s a catch Visit YouTube as you normally would. The feature is free and doesn’t require a YouTube Premium subscription. Why this matters The launch comes as more users search for alternatives to traditional browser extensions. Changes to Chrome’s extension platform have forced many ad blockers to redesign how they work, while YouTube has continued experimenting with new ways to detect and limit ad-blocking tools . By moving the technology directly into the browser, DuckDuckGo hopes to provide a simpler experience that doesn’t require installing additional extensions. Keep in mind that this isn’t a guarantee that this will work forever. YouTube regularly updates how it serves ads,
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