YouTube Vanced will be shutting down, after legal threat. The popular app is being discontinued after years of being available on the Android platform. Released first in 2018, YouTube Vanced is a sideloadable Android app that allows users to block ads, skip sponsored content, use a dark theme layout, and other useful tweaks, including bringing back the recently removed dislike button, bypassing the need for YouTube Premium. That combined with its popularity is likely why Google went after the project, serving them with a cease and desist. The Vanced team announced that due to "legal reasons", they'll be removing links to download the app from their website, and work on the project will be discontinued.

Existing installs of YouTube Vanced should still work for the foreseeable future, until Google makes significant changes to YouTube that would render the app useless.

Vanced has been discontinued. In the coming days, the download links on the website will be taken down. We know this is not something you wanted to hear but it's something we need to do. Thank you all for supporting us over the years.

— Vanced Official (@YTVanced) March 13, 2022

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[Norris]

): man i loved vanced

 

[XDel]

Glad they haven't hit my alternative yet.

 

[CloudStrife190100]

I suppose this applies to the music vanced app aswel then? Ffs

 

[SecureBoot]

You've got to be fucking kidding me. They're jacking up premium prices and throwing MORE ads (some are obnoxiously long AND unskippable) into videos. Vanced was the only sensible app to use. "b-b-but the ads support the creators"... Nah, Google dripping literal pennies on the dollar to these creators through ads.

The split is 55/45 in favor of the creator

 

[DJPlace]

i'm glad i have ad blocker's Installed for twitch and youtube i mean ad's are kinda fine at the start of the video and stream but having them show is a DICK move.

 

[SaulFemm]

NewPipe gang

 

[diggeloid]

Time to switch to using Firefox with ad block + sponsorblock addons installed...

Seriously not paying the amount they charge for premium as at that price it's just daylight robbery.

Ad Nauseum is better. Not only does it block ads, it also invisibly clicks random ads in the background. This doesn't affect your browsing experience, but it does fuck up the ad network's metrics and the targeting profile they have on you.

So with an ad blocker you hide ads at the expense of the site/channel you're visiting, but with ad nauseum you block ads at the expense of the advertising network.

 

[Justinde75]

One of the things that I actually actively used damn

Hope there will be a good alternative

 

[the_randomizer]

Honestly never heard of it, but Google can suck a dick

 

[StiflingHat9897]

bro I've been using vanced since 2018 and I don't even use it for the adblock. It just has a lot of useful features other than just adblock. This sucks.

 

[WG481]

Guess when grandma's choking to death, I'll watch a red lobster ad instead getting a guide on saving her life.

 

[linuxares]

I suppose this applies to the music vanced app aswel then? Ffs

Yes.

Get Blackhole from Github

 

[Jayro]

never heard of this app until now. I just downloaded the vpk from a trustworthy site. will it still be active tomorrow though?

No idea, Google could just change something in the API, and the app could break entirely.

 

[AncientBoi]

@urbanman2004 and @BitMasterPlus Should we use KY, or attach sandpaper to ourselves to fuq 'em?

 

[DemonSp3ed]

Ublock Origin on Firefox mobile and no ads upsets me. Stoped using adaway for rooted devices since discovered ublock, best addblock ever in my opinion, so everyone with his preferences.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Ouch, that's a pain. Vanced was being promoted quite a bit by XDA Developers as a great YouTube alternative. This is just like what they did with YouTube DL (which still mostly works, for those who still use it and can find it). There's still some alternatives out there, though.

Ever heard of NewPipe?

 

[SG854]

I only have 30 minuets for lunch and ads takes away about 10 minutes fuck you!!!!!!

 

[Psiolowavio]

Yea This is going to be a sour one. Let's hope the current version will last some time & in the meantime start looking for alternatives.

 

[ShadowOne333]

I did some research, and found some good alternatives (though not as good as Vanced right now):

• SkyTube
• NewPipe
• LibreTube
• SmartTubeNext (for Android TV devices)
• Your browser of choice with Ublock Origin extension
• Your browser of choice with AdNauseam extension
• Browser's with adblock features included, like Brave or Tor

I'll keep looking for other options, but as of right now, Vanced will keep working for some time.
I think the official statement said that it should still work fine for something around 2 years, but I really hope a good alternative with similar features drops before then, since I do rely on being logged in to YouTube for watching my video subscriptions, and some of these options don't allow for logged in YouTube (I think).

 

[ReigningSemtex]

Maaaan this really sucks I have been using vanced for a couple of years now and I really don't want to go back to standard youtube they have made it so bad over the years, taken away features that used to be free and put them into their premium subscription and the crazy amount of ads makes it almost unwatchable.
I am going to be missing listening to YouTube vids while my screen is off or just having the video playing while I am browsing or playing some crappy mobile game.