How to Block Ads on YouTube and Websites (Complete Guide)

If you are tired of waiting 30 seconds to watch a 10-second video, you are not alone. Ads on the internet have become faster, louder, and harder to skip. In 2025, blocking them is not just about saving time; it is about protecting your privacy and keeping your devices safe.

This guide will explain exactly how to stop ads on every device you own, from your computer to your smartphone and even your smart TV. We will use simple English to explain the technical tricks so you can take control of your screen.

Part 1: The Best Way to Block Ads on Computers

Computers are the easiest devices to fix because web browsers give you a lot of control. You do not need to be a hacker to do this.

1. The “Gold Standard” Extension: uBlock Origin

If you only do one thing from this article, install uBlock Origin. It is free, open-source, and widely considered the best ad blocker in the world.

• Why it works: Unlike other blockers that sell “acceptable ads” to companies, uBlock Origin blocks everything by default. It uses very little memory, so it won’t slow down your computer.
• How to use it: Go to the extension store for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge and click “Add.” That is it. It works automatically.
• Pro Tip: If YouTube detects it and shows a warning, open the uBlock dashboard, go to “Filter lists,” and click “Purge all caches” followed by “Update now.” This refreshes the blocking rules to beat YouTube’s new detection scripts.

2. The “One-Click” Browser: Brave

If installing extensions sounds too complicated, you can just switch your browser. Brave is a web browser that has an ad blocker built directly into its code.

• How it works: When you open a website or a YouTube video in Brave, it automatically strips out the ad code before the page even loads. This often makes websites load 3x faster.
• Bonus: It also blocks “trackers,” which are invisible spies that follow you around the internet to see what you buy.

Part 2: Stopping Ads on Android Phones

Android phones allow you to install apps from outside the official Google Play Store. This gives you powerful options that iPhone users don’t easily have.

1. The App Replacement: YouTube ReVanced

The official YouTube app will always have ads because Google owns it. The solution is to use a modified version of the app. The most popular one in 2025 is ReVanced (a successor to the old “Vanced” app).

• What it does: It looks and feels exactly like the normal YouTube app, but it has zero ads. It also brings back the “Dislike” counter and lets you play videos in the background while your screen is off.
• How to get it: You cannot find this on the Play Store. You must download the “ReVanced Manager” from their official GitHub website or a trusted source, and use it to patch your YouTube app.

2. The “NewPipe” Alternative

If ReVanced feels too technical to install, try an app called NewPipe. It is a lightweight YouTube player that doesn’t need you to log in. It blocks all ads and even lets you download videos directly to your phone to watch offline.

3. Blocking Ads in Games and Websites

To stop ads in your mobile browser (like Chrome) or inside free games, you can change a simple setting called DNS.

• The easy fix: Go to your Android Settings -> Network & Internet -> Private DNS.
• Type this in: dns.adguard.com.
• Result: This filters your internet traffic and blocks ad servers for your whole phone.

Part 3: Blocking Ads on iPhone (iOS)

Apple makes it harder to block ads, but it is not impossible.

1. The “Sideloading” Method: uYouEnhanced

Since you cannot simply download an ad-free YouTube app from the App Store, you have to “sideload” it. This means installing an app from a computer. The best app for this is uYouEnhanced (often called uYouPlus).

• How to do it: You will need a computer (PC or Mac). Download a tool called AltStore or Sideloadly. Connect your iPhone to the computer and use the tool to install the uYouEnhanced file onto your phone.
• The catch: You have to reconnect your phone to the computer once every 7 days to “refresh” the app, or it will stop working.

2. The Safari Extension Method

If you want a simpler method, stop using the YouTube app and watch YouTube in the Safari browser instead.

• Download an extension like AdGuard or 1Blocker from the App Store.
• Enable it in Safari settings.
• When you watch videos on the YouTube mobile website (youtube.com), the ads will be blocked. It is not as smooth as the app, but it works perfectly.

Part 4: The Hardest Challenge – Smart TVs

Blocking ads on a TV is difficult because you cannot easily install ad blockers on them. However, there are clever workarounds for every major brand.

1. Android TV / Google TV / FireStick

This is the easiest TV platform. Just like on an Android phone, you can install a custom app. The best one is SmartTube (formerly SmartTubeNext).

• Features: It blocks all ads, skips the “Sponsor” segments (where the YouTuber talks about a product), and plays in 4K.
• Installation: You need to install a “Downloader” app from the store, and then use it to download the SmartTube APK file from their official website.

2. Samsung TVs (Tizen OS)

Samsung TVs are very locked down, but a project called TizenTube has solved this.

• How it works: It uses a system called “TizenBrew” to run a custom YouTube container. It requires you to enable “Developer Mode” on your TV, which sounds scary but is just a few clicks in the settings menu. Once installed, it removes ads just like the PC version.

3. LG TVs (WebOS)

For LG TVs, the solution is called “YouTube AdFree” via the Homebrew Channel.

• The process: You need to “root” your TV (gain admin access) using a tool called RootMyTV. This is usually done by visiting a specific website on the TV’s web browser. Once rooted, you can install the Homebrew Channel, which lets you download the ad-free YouTube app.

4. Roku TVs

Roku is the hardest system to crack because it is completely closed. However, an app called Playlet has recently emerged.

• The workaround: Playlet is an alternative TV interface. It doesn’t use the official YouTube app. Instead, it connects to a backend called “Invidious” to pull YouTube videos without the ads. You can add it as a “Private Channel” or “Developer Channel” on your Roku device.

Part 5: The “Cat-and-Mouse” Game

You should know that YouTube is fighting back. In 2025, they often update their site to break ad blockers. If you see a message saying “Ad blockers are not allowed,” do not panic.

• Update your filters: In uBlock Origin, go to settings and “force update” your filter lists. The developers usually fix the problem within hours.
• Disable JavaScript: In extreme cases, you can use an extension to turn off JavaScript for YouTube. This breaks the detection script, but it might also break comments or other site features.

Conclusion: Is This Ethical?

Blocking ads is a personal choice. It makes the internet safer, faster, and less annoying. However, it also hurts the creators you love, because they earn money from those ads.

If you block ads, consider balancing it out. YouTube Premium is the official way to remove ads and support creators. If that is too expensive, look for your favorite YouTuber’s Patreon or buy their merchandise. This way, you can enjoy a clean, quiet internet experience without feeling guilty about taking money away from the people who entertain you.