Dexerto
DuckDuckGo is making a direct pitch to YouTube users tired of ads, announcing that its browser now blocks most video ads on the platform.
Watching YouTube without Premium can be a tough experience for anyone with a low attention span. The platform has notoriously increased the number of ads over the years, even introducing 30-second unskippable advertisements on TV.
At the same time, the Google-owned platform has been shutting down ad blockers, making it difficult to bypass the waves of commercials.
In a July 8 post, DuckDuckGo said users can get “the full YouTube experience, minus the ads” by watching YouTube through its browser, with the feature blocking ads that play before and during videos.
“Tired of ads interrupting your videos? Us, too,” the company said. “The DuckDuckGo browser now blocks most video ads, including on YouTube!”
DuckDuckGo says YouTube ad blocking keeps the “regular YouTube experience”
The feature, called YouTube Ad Blocking, is now available in the DuckDuckGo browser and is turned on by default for most iPhone, Windows, and Mac users, as long as the app is up to date.
Android users will also get the feature enabled automatically soon, though DuckDuckGo says they can turn it on manually for now by heading to Settings, then Ad Blocking.
🚨 New Feature Alert: YouTube Ad Blocking
Sick of ads interrupting your videos? Us, too. The DuckDuckGo browser now blocks most video ads, including on YouTube! On by default for iPhone, Windows and Mac. (Android users, opt in via Settings for now.)https://t.co/FCTBcYp8xA
— DuckDuckGo (@DuckDuckGo) July 8, 2026
There is one major catch for mobile users, however. DuckDuckGo says YouTube links may still open in the official YouTube app by default, where its ad-blocking feature will not work. To use it, viewers need to open the YouTube website inside the DuckDuckGo browser.
DuckDuckGo also clarified that the new ad-blocking feature is different from Duck Player, its built-in YouTube player that opens videos in a distraction-free theater mode.
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While Duck Player is designed to limit tracking and keep videos from influencing recommendations, YouTube Ad Blocking works on the normal YouTube website. That means users can still access features like watch history and playlist progress.
DuckDuckGo says the tool uses community-driven filter lists sourced from uBlock Origin, along with some of its own rules to improve compatibility and reduce issues.
The company does warn that, like other ad blockers, it can lead to extra buffering before videos load. Once a video starts, however, DuckDuckGo claims users “won’t be interrupted with ads.”
DuckDuckGo
The launch comes as YouTube continues to push back against ad blockers. YouTube’s own support page says blocking ads violates its Terms of Service and warns that users may be asked to allow ads, subscribe to Premium, or face blocked playback.
While YouTube has also increased the cost of Premium in many countries, the site also introduced a cheaper version dubbed Premium Lite, which removes most ads, but doesn’t come with all the features of the standard version.
So far, YouTube hasn’t responded to DuckDuckGo’s declaration of war against its ads, but if the past is any indication, Google will desperately try to stop the browser’s adblock from working.
