YouTube: Missing skip button and annoying ad formats cause frustration
Normally, most ads on YouTube can be skipped after five seconds using the skip button. However, according to Reddit users, this option is becoming less common. In some instances, the button only shows up at the end of the ad – or not at all. Screenshots shared on Reddit clearly show ads that claim to be skippable but offer no actual option to do so. It's a frustrating experience: some users say that even refreshing the page – once a reliable workaround – now just triggers a different unskippable ad.
New ad formats like so-called "floating ads" are also disrupting the YouTube experience. These are banner ads that hover over the video itself, often appearing after an ad has already played or been skipped. Users of the Opera GX browser in particular report that these intrusive banners are hard to close. On the mobile app, they sometimes even block the video entirely.
YouTube Premium as the only way out
The uneven rollout of these new ad formats suggests a targeted test. It’s likely that YouTube is experimenting with different user groups to gauge how far it can push its advertising changes without driving people away. While a technical glitch can’t be completely ruled out, it seems unlikely given the consistent reports across multiple users.
The pressure on users to subscribe to YouTube Premium is clearly increasing. For $13.99 a month, Google offers ad-free viewing, downloads and background playback. Many see the recent changes as a push to steer users toward the paid model – and the reaction has been far from positive.
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