Why YouTube is making its videos slower to load for millions of people – but there's a fix
YouTube confirmed users hadn't imagined the new five-second delay when loading videos on its website
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YouTube has intentionally added a five-second delay for millions of users trying to watch videos online. Speculation that YouTube had added new code to artificially increase waiting times on web browsers like Mozilla Firefox in a bid to push people to install Google Chrome, which is owned by the same parent company as YouTube, spread across social media earlier this week.
However, YouTube has confirmed it inserted the code into its video-sharing website not to force users to change web browsers – but as part of its ongoing efforts to stamp-out ad blockers across all platforms.
While the issue was first spotted by users with Mozilla Firefox, YouTube says its new ad blocker detection doesn't target specific browsers and can trigger longer loading times on a number of popular options. If you're noticing a five-second pause when clicking on a YouTube video, disabling the ad blocker installed in your browser should solve the issue.
In a statement sent to Google-centric blog 9To5Google, YouTube revealed: "Ads are a vital lifeline for our creators that helps them run and grow their businesses. That’s why the use of ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. We’ve been urging users for some time to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.
"In the past week, users using ad blockers may have experienced suboptimal viewing, which included delays in loading, regardless of the browser they are using. Users who have uninstalled their ad blockers may still experience a temporary delay in loading, and should try refreshing their browser."
If you haven't experienced the issue, this is an example of the artificial five-second delay, as shared by a user on Reddit:
it's not your internet, youtube now makes you wait 5 extra seconds as a penalty for not using google chrome
— wukko (@uwukko) November 20, 2023
this "issue" is 100% artificial and hardcoded, changing the user agent to google chrome magically fixes the timeout pic.twitter.com/UycYFs1B5s
YouTube confirmed plans to crackdown on ad blockers last month – and it appears this new delay is part of that push. Some Android users have also reported being unable to load up the YouTube website on their devices without removing their ad blocker.
The latest push comes just a few weeks after YouTube reintroduced an unskippable 30-second advert break in the UK. This advert is usually played before your video begins.Until recently, the vast majority of ad breaks on YouTube had a countdown timer and could be skipped after the first five seconds.
YouTube, which hosts 3.7 million new videos on its website every single day, introduced a paid-for subscription back in 2018 that removes all ad breaks before, during, and after your favourite videos. It costs £12.99 per month, although there is a one-month free trial available for new users.
Dubbed YouTube Premium, the subscription also includes access to YouTube Music, which is a Spotify competitor with access to 100 million ad-free songs and curated playlists to play on your phone, tablet, web browser, or telly.
Following a recent trial, Google has also rolled out a new "1080p Premium" setting that offers better picture quality for all videos, thanks to an enhanced bitrate. Only YouTube Premium subscribers are able to download videos to watch offline when they don't have an internet connection.
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For those who don't pay for YouTube Premium, you can expect to see more efforts from YouTube to ensure its adverts are being seen.