Sick of Commercials? You Can Still Skip YouTube Ads (if You Try Hard Enough)

"The majority of in-stream ads that play before or during a YouTube video are short-usually 15 seconds or less-and are easily skippable. Which, honestly, is a pretty good compromise between watching and avoiding ads. Just wait five seconds until the Skip Ads button is clickable, click it, and move on with your day."

"If you immediately hit the Skip Ads, it's no longer considered, as YouTube calls it, an "engaged-view conversation," and the creator won't receive any of the ad money that would be owed to them if you had watched the whole thing. To meet that requirement, you'll have to watch at least 10 seconds of the ad."

"If you're seeing the same ad over and over and wish to be free, you can report it. During the pre-roll ad on a YouTube video, tap Tab + Enter on your keyboard to prompt the "About This Ad" box with details on why you're seeing the ad."

YouTube's advertising model supports free content creation for 2.5 billion monthly users but creates frustration through frequent ad interruptions. Most in-stream ads are skippable after five seconds, though creators only receive compensation if viewers watch at least ten seconds. Users can skip ads immediately, but this prevents creators from earning ad revenue. Alternatively, viewers can report repetitive ads using keyboard shortcuts to access the "About This Ad" feature. Smart TV viewing often includes longer ad breaks. While streaming ads remain an inevitable part of free platforms, these methods offer some control over the viewing experience.

Read at PCMag UK