If you’re tired of sitting through ads before being able to watch a YouTube video on your iPhone then I have a solution for you. However, before we get started it’s worth noting that there is no silver bullet for watching YouTube ad-free in the YouTube app without paying the subscription. However, it does work in Safari and other mobile browsers.
You cannot watch YouTube ad-free in the app without a subscription, but you can watch YouTube ad-free on iPhone in Safari using an ad-blocking app like Ad-Guard or using Brave browser.
In this post I’ll first demonstrate the Ad-Guard method then I’ll show you an easier way, which is to simply install the Brave mobile browser.
Just in case you’re not convinced, the browser version of YouTube works perfectly fine but you do lose a bit of functionality like the ability to double-tap to skip forwards and backwards.
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Method #1 - Using Safari and Ad-Guard
If you prefer using Safari and don’t feel inclined to switch to using a different browser on your iPhone than this first method is for you. This method requires the installation of an ad-blocker called AdGuard which is a free app and has a feature specifically for blocking youtube ads. AdGuard is an extension for Safari, so as well as blocking YouTube ads it will also block ads on all websites you visit.
Download and install the Ad-Guard app from the Appstore. Open the app and skip the premium sign up. It’s really not necessary to pay for this app. You’ll be taking through a few screens explaining what the app does and then it will tell you that Ad-Guard is enabled. Feel free to close the app at this stage because we won’t be using it anymore.
Open up the Settings app and click on Safari. As I explained, ad-guard is an extension for Safari, so we need to enable the extension by clicking on Extensions in Safari’s settings screen. Here I would be inclined just to enable all settings for AdGuard.
Having enabled the extension, jump into your Safari browser and browser to YouTube.com. Click on the Share icon and scroll down to the bottom of your share options. There you should now see an option to Block YouTube Ads. Click to enable the extension and you can now watch YouTube Ad-Free for as long as YouTube is loaded in the browser.
If you close the tab or close the Safari app, you’ll need to reload the extension by going through the same process - clicking on the share icon and choosing the option to block ads. Remember, now you have Ad-Guard installed and enabled, you can enjoy browsing any site completely ad-free. Win-win!
Method #2 - Using Brave mobile browser
If that solution sounds less than ideal, then I think you’ll prefer this second method, which is simply installing a new browser called Brave.
Brave is a privacy-centric browser that blocks ads straight out of the box, without the need for installing any extensions or changing any settings. Once Brave is installed from the AppStore, open the app and run through the setup process.
You don’t need to make Brave your default browser, if you don’t want to. You should hopefully have a shortcut to YouTube on your homepage. If not, simply browse to YouTube as you would any site. And that’s literally all you need to do. Ad-free YouTube, all day long. Like with Ad-Guard, Brave blocks all ads, not just for YouTube, so you can enjoy ad-free browsing on all your favorite sites.
The Brave browser is available on desktop as well as mobile and is an excellent alternative for those concerned about online privacy and tired of watching countless ads.
So that is how to watch YouTube videos on your iPhone ad-free without the need for paying for a YouTube subscription. If you found this post useful, you might also be interested in learning how to hide messages on an iPhone or how to search Google using an image.
Don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel for lots more tips and tricks on all your favorite apps.