YouTube ad blocker not working? Why, and what to do

Why ad blockers stop working on YouTube in 2026, what YouTube does against them, and what to do when ads come back.

Status

The extension is being published on the Chrome Web Store. This page will show the date of each check.

Why ad blockers break on YouTube

Chrome no longer runs uBlock Origin since 2025: only uBlock Origin Lite remains, with fewer powers. YouTube also changes its player often and warns that it may block playback when it detects a blocker.

What this extension does differently

A blocker tries to stop the ad from loading, and the player notices. This extension lets the player work as usual and skips the ad once it starts, like pressing “skip” for you.

YouTube without ads : Replay Block for YouTube

If ads come back

Update the extension (chrome://extensions, “Update”), reload the page, and make sure only one blocker is active on youtube.com. If ads still come back, write to us: we publish the status here.

How uBlock Origin left Chrome, date by date

Google's Manifest V2 timeline explains why the most popular YouTube blocker stopped working in Chrome:

03/06/2024: phase-out of Manifest V2 extensions starts in Chrome Beta, Dev and Canary;
09/10/2024: gradual disabling begins in stable Chrome;
31/03/2025: MV2 extensions disabled by default, still re-enableable;
24/07/2025: Chrome 138 removes the re-enable option; Chrome 139 then drops the enterprise policy that kept MV2 alive;
31/08/2026: remaining MV2 extensions removed from the Chrome Web Store.
uBlock Origin's developer states there is no Manifest V3 version of uBO; uBO Lite does not replace it automatically and has no dynamic filtering (partial since Chromium 145).

What YouTube itself says

YouTube's help page “Allow ads on videos that you watch” is blunt: “If you continue to use ad blockers, we may block your video playback.” It offers two ways out, allowing ads or paying for Premium.

The crackdown went global in late October 2023, after a test from June 2023, according to YouTube's statement to The Verge as reported by 9to5Google. In November 2023, users reported slow video starts of around 5 seconds, which YouTube put down to ad-blocker detection. A server-side ad insertion test was spotted in June 2024; we found no official confirmation that it has been rolled out to desktop browsers.

Firefox, Brave and Edge

Mozilla said on 25/02/2025 that Firefox keeps supporting Manifest V2 alongside V3, and uBlock Origin is listed as a recommended add-on on Firefox for Android. Brave builds its Shields blocker into the browser code, independent of MV2 or MV3. Microsoft announced on 07/08/2026 that Edge begins its own Manifest V3 move for consumers from August 2026, aiming for the end of 2026.

Sources: Chrome MV2 timeline (updated 09/09/2026, read 29/10/2026); uBO wiki (13/08/2026); uBO Lite FAQ (29/10/2026); YouTube Help, allow ads (29/10/2026); YouTube Terms (29/10/2026); 9to5Google (31/10/2023); The Register (21/11/2023); TechRadar, SSAI test (read 29/10/2026); Mozilla (25/02/2025); uBO for Firefox Android (29/10/2026); Brave (29/10/2026); Microsoft Edge blog (07/08/2026).

Frequently asked questions

Does uBlock Origin still work on YouTube in Chrome?

Not the full version: since Chrome 138 (July 2025) it can no longer be re-enabled, and it was removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31/08/2026. Only uBlock Origin Lite remains, with fewer powers.

Why does YouTube say ad blockers are not allowed?

YouTube's help page says ad blockers break its Terms of Service and that it may block playback if you keep using one. Its Terms do not name blockers, but forbid interfering with the service.

Does Firefox still support uBlock Origin?

Yes. Mozilla keeps Manifest V2 support in Firefox, and uBlock Origin is available on Firefox for desktop and Android.