The 5 best ways to watch YouTube without ads and interruptions

Source: Android Authority

The 5 best ways to watch YouTube without ads and interruptions

Don’t let Google know, but I’d be quite lost without YouTube. I use the platform daily for background noise during the workday and for enjoying my favorite creators’ content in the evenings. The app’s constant interruptions and visual clutter have prompted me to seek alternative ways to watch YouTube ad‑free.

Use a browser with dedicated video controls

You don’t need a separate app; Android browsers can handle YouTube just fine. Some browsers offer better video handling and built‑in ad‑blocking features:

• Banana Browser – Dedicated video player, supports YouTube and TikTok, includes ad‑blocking, SponsorBlock support, background play, and picture‑in‑picture (PiP).
• Brave – Good for casual users, offers background audio playback, PiP, and settings to block recommended content, “distracting elements,” and Shorts.

Use one of the many Android YouTube apps available

Several open‑source apps provide a cleaner YouTube experience:

• Tubular (fork of NewPipe) – Includes SponsorBlock and ReturnYouTubeDislike, easy for non‑techies.
• NewPipe – Great for older Android devices; lightweight and privacy‑focused.
• PipePipe – Hard fork of NewPipe with keyword filter system and support for other platforms (e.g., Bilibili).
• Grayjay – Content aggregator that supports multiple video/audio platforms and stores subscription data locally.

Desktop user? FreeTube does the trick

FreeTube is a free, open‑source, privacy‑first client for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It stores subscriptions, playlists, and history locally, removes ads, and mimics YouTube’s UI. Occasionally it may break after YouTube backend changes, but the open‑source community usually fixes issues quickly.

Use this popular Google TV app

SmartTube is a free, open‑source YouTube client for Google TV/Chromecast with Google TV. It offers:

• Faster performance and more UI customization.
• Advanced video‑quality controls.
• SponsorBlock integration, ad suppression, and granular recommendation filters.

Installation requires a small prelude app since SmartTube isn’t available directly from the Play Store, but the extra steps are worth the enhanced experience.

Actually pay for YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium removes ads across all supported devices and adds perks such as:

• YouTube Music Premium access.
• Offline viewing.
• Additional playback options (e.g., background play, skip‑ahead).

At $13.99 /month, it’s the only official way to get an ad‑free experience everywhere, though it doesn’t add the UI customizations offered by third‑party apps.

How do you watch YouTube interruption‑free? Let us know in the comments.