Ads are annoying, especially when you have to wait for 30 seconds before you can start watching the YouTube video. But, that can be skipped with YouTube Premium. What’s more annoying is watching an ad in the middle of a video. I’m talking about sponsored segments. While sponsorships and promotions are a part of the online creator economy, they can put off some viewers. If you’re one of them, here’s a cool little trick to automatically skip the sponsored sections of a YouTube video.
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What Is SponsorBlock
YouTube may allow you to skip ads at the start of a video. However, the platform obviously doesn’t allow viewers to skip sponsored portions of a video inherently. So, we’ll be using a third-party tool called SponsorBlock.
SponsorBlock is a browser extension that lives in your browser and works in the background. Every time you play a YouTube video, the extension automatically skips sponsored content using crowd-sourced data. Essentially, users of the extension can submit what portion of a video is sponsored, and SponsorBlock will automatically skip that portion for all viewers. How cool is that?!
Use SponsorBlock to Block Sponsored Sections
The best part about using SponsorBlock is that it seamlessly integrates with the YouTube UI. You don’t have to turn it on or click on any buttons to activate it. Simply head to the service’s site and install SponsorBlock for your corresponding browser.
Then, all you have to do is launch YouTube on your computer. Play any video of your choice and the sponsored segments should be automatically skipped. The skipped segments appear green on the seek bar. If you want to go back and play the skipped sponsor segment, hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
If you still end up seeing sponsored sections in the video, you might want to enable the service by following these steps.
Click on the SponsorBlock extension next to the address bar in Chrome. In the pop-up window, ensure the toggle next to Skipping is enabled is turned on. If you’re seeing sponsored sections despite the toggle being enabled, simply turn off the toggle and turn it back on.
Then, restart your browser for the changes to take effect.
Extra features of SponsorBlock
Along with automatically skipping sponsored content, SponsorBlock also has a few other clever tricks up its sleeve.
- Notifying viewers of creators getting early or exclusive access to devices or services: If you’re watching a smartphone review before the commercial launch of a product, SponsorBlock will inform you that the creator has received exclusive access to the device with an icon in the thumbnail.
- Sponsored showcases: At times, an entire video may be a sponsored showcase of a particular product or service. During such an instance, the entire seek bar of the video turns green, and there’s a SponsorBlock logo within the thumbnail.
- Customization: If you head to the Options section by clicking on the extension, you can modify a plethora of settings to match your requirements.
Supported devices
Currently, SponsorBlock works on Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Opera. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t work with the native YouTube app on Android and iOS. If you wish to use SponsorBlock on your phone, you’ll have to resort to viewing YouTube via your phone’s browser which isn’t an ideal experience.
Over the years, I’ve realized I can’t live without some YouTube extensions. SponsorBlock is one of them. It improves your viewing experience and also saves you a ton of time if you spend a few hours on YouTube every day.
Image by DALL-E 3. All screenshots by Sumukh Rao.
Sumukh Rao –
Contributor
Sumukh has a knack for simplifying tech for the masses and helping consumers pick the right gadgets with his in-depth insights and reviews. He decided to hide his engineering degree in the closet to pursue his passion for writing. Over the past 6 years, he has contributed with guides, reviews, and detailed opinions to notable publications like TechPP, XDA-Developers, and Guiding Tech.
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