YouTube says it is ‘not hiding the skip button’ on ads

Some YouTube users person observed the level making it harder to skip ads successful caller days. On Reddit, a idiosyncratic reported seeing achromatic rectangles implicit the skip fastener connected desktop alternatively of the expected countdown timer, and a fewer days later, Android Police reported not seeing a countdown to skip on mobile.

But successful statements to The Verge, YouTube says it isn’t removing the skip fastener — it’s conscionable changing immoderate elements of however ads are displayed.

“YouTube is not hiding the skip button,” YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun says successful a connection to The Verge. “On skippable ads, the fastener appears aft 5 seconds into playback, arsenic always.”

As for the changes, Falodun says that YouTube is “reducing elements connected the ads player” truthful that “viewers tin prosecute much profoundly with the advertisement done a cleaner experience.” Users connected some desktop and mobile whitethorn besides spot the countdown timer to skip an advertisement “appear arsenic a advancement barroom connected the bottommost of the screen.” The favoritism present seems to beryllium that the skip fastener isn’t being removed, but it whitethorn not beryllium presented successful the aforesaid mode that it utilized to.

While it’s reassuring that the institution isn’t hiding the skip button, YouTube is actively expanding wherever and however you spot ads. The intermission surface is just crippled for ads now, for example, and past year, the institution removed immoderate advertisement controls for creators. YouTube has besides been cracking down connected using advertisement blockers to dodge ads. Of course, possibly the easiest mode to region ads is to wage for YouTube Premium, but the terms for that keeps creeping up.