Why Can’t I Skip Ads on YouTube? Reasons Explained

Lydia Wan
4 min readNov 22, 2023

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If you use YouTube frequently, you may have noticed that some videos have ads that you can’t skip. Why can’t I skip ads on YouTube? This post on MiniTool Video Converter aims to shed light on why YouTube has unskippable ads and how to avoid them.

When you use YouTube, you may notice there are some unskippable ads before, during, or after the video. These ads are usually 15 to 20 seconds long and can have a negative impact on the user experience. You may wonder why YouTube has these unskippable ads and if there is a way to get rid of them. Next, we will explore the reasons behind YouTube’s unskippable ads, and how you can avoid them if you wish.

Why Can’t I Skip Ads on YouTube?

It can be frustrating when you are unable to skip ads on YouTube app. However, there are several reasons why this might be happening. Let’s take a closer look at the most common ones.

Browser Issues

If you can’t see the skip ad button on your YouTube video, there may be an issue with your browser. A browser extension that affects YouTube ads could be causing the problem. In this case, you can try updating your browser to the latest version or playing the same video in another browser to see if the skip ad button appears.

Getting Ads to the Target Audience

One of the main reasons why ads cannot be skipped is because YouTube wants to ensure that advertisers get value for their money by showing their ads to their target audience. If people skip ads without seeing them, advertisers won’t be willing to pay for ad space, and YouTube’s revenue will suffer.

Supporting Content Creators

Moreover, unskippable ads can help content creators earn revenue from their videos. YouTube claims that unskippable ads are more effective for advertisers because they have higher view rates and lower cost-per-views than skippable ads.

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General Fixes to Avoid YouTube’s Unskippable Ads

Why can’t I skip ads on YouTube? If you find YouTube’s unskippable ads annoying, there are ways you can avoid them. Depending on your preference and budget, here are some options you can try.

Try YouTube Premium

This is the official way to remove all ads on YouTube. By subscribing to YouTube Premium, which costs $13.99 per month, you gain access to ad-free videos, offline downloads, background playback, YouTube Music, and YouTube Originals.

Use Ad Blockers

You can install third-party software or extensions to prevent ads from appearing on websites, including YouTube. Ad blockers are usually free, but they may not work on all devices or browsers, and they may interfere with the functionality of some websites. Additionally, ad blockers deprive YouTube and creators of the ad revenue they rely on and may violate YouTube’s terms of service.

Use Alternative Platforms

Other video-sharing platforms may have fewer or no ads, or offer more control over the ads you see. Some examples of alternative platforms include Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch, and BitChute. However, other platforms may not have the same variety, quality, or popularity of content as YouTube, and they may have their shortcomings or limitations.

Watch YouTube Videos Offline

In addition to the above fixes, you can also try downloading videos from YouTube and watch them offline. For this purpose, you can use a free tool like MiniTool Video Converter, which lets you convert YouTube videos to MP4, WebM, WAV, and MP3 formats. Once the video is downloaded, you can watch it on any video player without any ads.

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Bottom Line

To sum up, there are various reasons which might prevent you from skipping ads on YouTube. Although it may seem annoying to watch ads, it is crucial to bear in mind that some content creators depend on ad revenue to earn a living. If possible, try to support them by watching their ads. However, if you still prefer to skip ads, you can try these general fixes to enjoy ad-free videos.

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