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DuckDuckGo browser now blocks YouTube video ads
The feature uses open-source filter lists and is already on by default for most iPhone, Windows and Mac users.
- On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, DuckDuckGo announced its browser now blocks most YouTube video ads, allowing users to get "the full YouTube experience, minus the ads." The feature is enabled by default for iPhone, Windows, and Mac users.
- DuckDuckGo implements this by sourcing filters from the open-source uBlock Origin extension, which it has "supplemented" with its own rules to reduce video playback issues. This arrives as Google, which owns YouTube, continues restricting third-party ad-blocking tools.
- Users must open YouTube within the DuckDuckGo browser for ad blocking to work; the feature does not function in the YouTube app. The company warns the blocker may cause buffering before videos load, a trade-off from Google's technical countermeasures introduced last year.
- This update joins the existing Duck Player, a theater-mode tool designed for distraction-free viewing that removes comments and related videos. While both enhance privacy, the ad blocker works on the standard YouTube website, whereas Duck Player runs clips outside the normal site.
- Android users can currently opt in via browser settings, with automatic enablement arriving soon. DuckDuckGo frames this as a response to viewer frustration, joining competitors like Brave in blocking YouTube ads by default.
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86% Center
14%
C 86%
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