Block ads inside YouTube App?

[Simaryp]

Hi,
I just started using my selfmade OPNsense router. My new network is not deployed yet, but nearly finished.
I am quite happy with unbound and it can act as a direct pihole replacement fo me.

One thing that wasn't working neither with unbound nor with pihole for me is blocking ads inside of the YouTube App.
I wonder whether there is some solution to that. Or whether it's impossible. In the browser I can block ads in YouTube just fine. But in the app on certain devices with no browser it doesn't seem to work.

[marjohn56]

Probably because the App bypasses your resolver and goes direct to the google server. Happens a lot with google devices.

[Simaryp]

For that case I enabled a portfowarding that should redirect all DNS querries to the OPNsense router.

[and]

As I loosely understand it: The ads in the app were served inline with the video you're trying to stream so the DNS either doesn't pick up on them or does and you get neither the video or the ad.

If you're on Android NewPipe is a good, free alternative app without served ads, you still have to listen to the in-stream plugs for Shadow Legends/NordVPN/etc. There's also a Newpipe fork with SponsorBlock built in or apparently now YouTube Vanced is another app with SB integration. Due to it not seeming any more invasive of privacy than watching the videos I'm ok with supporting the YouTubers via their sponsorship's so haven't looked into the last two.

On IoS there was an alternative front end to YouTube called Invidious which has shuttered but was FOSS so there are clones, it might be possible to set as a webapp? Only buzz I've heard though, not been hands on with the devices.

Didn't link as I haven't read the rules here properly (sorry mods!) but it's all stuff that's on the front few pages of search engines.

[Simaryp]

Thanks for the hint. I was afeaid that it wont work globally.

What do you mean with SponsorBlock? The commercials the youtubers make thenself like "blabla this video is presented by super secure vpn service..." ?

That I don't mind either. But if I show my kid some cartoon clips on YouTube I don't want ads to pop up.

[EricE]

On IoS there was an alternative front end to YouTube called Invidious which has shuttered but was FOSS so there are clones, it might be possible to set as a webapp? Only buzz I've heard though, not been hands on with the devices.

On iOS there is a paid blocker - 1Blocker - that works beautifully with YouTube in Safari.  You can also play YouTube full screen then collapse to PIP with the built in iOS PIP and that allows you to play YouTube "in the background" without subscribing to YouTube red or whatever it is.

Yes, there is a small in app purchase for 1Blocker but it's also 100% ad free which is usually the point of content blocking :)

[beeric]

On Android there is an app called Youtube Vanced. I believe it is usually recommended in place of the stock Android app.

I am a Pihole user, and unfortunately Pihole can't do anything for Youtube ads. They use the same domain as videos and other critical resources, so there's no way to block them at the domain level.