Users in at least seven countries are now receiving an email about the increase. YouTube started a massive campaign against ad blockers, preventing those...
LibreTube and self-hosted Piped server is working really well for me. I only wish SmartTubeNext (or another Chromecast GTV client) would use Piped as well.
also on Desktop, using SMplayer (admits YT and most other streaming platforms, pasting the URL in > Open > URL
In the browser ypu can also watch YT without ads and without YT detecting the adblocker, using this script
(Firefox use the Tampermonkey or Greasymonkey extensión, in Vivaldy download the script to a folder and drag it to the extensions page in developer mode)- It put tje Video in a iFrame, with this the YouTube Adblock detector run below this layer without detecting anything.
Might not be as privacy-friendly as other options though
That's why I didn't put it on the list. Also, sideloading on iOS is just a terrible experience. You either need to connect your phone to a computer every 7 days, otherwise your sideloaded apps will become unusable, or you can pay Apple $100/year for a developer subscription, so you can use your already overpriced device the way you want to. The best option is to avoid the problem entirely and get an Android phone, preferably a Google Pixel, and then install GrapheneOS on it and sideload F-Droid and LibreTube. This gives you actual freedom, as well as the highest levels of privacy and security you can get on a smartphone.
Good luck. It’s been three days for me and it’s insufferable using it with ads. I’m not even actively looking through the app, just coming across videos for work and personal projects and I’m already fed up.
I'm right there with you all the way. My wallet will never have a Google hole. Not for YouTube premium or music or storage or whatever else they are thinking of selling me that is not a physical product. I probably won't buy anything physical from them either such as a Chromebook or a pixel phone because they are the most evil company in the world today.