Increased YouTube ads

FAQs Community How-to's
1

Hello, I've setup piHole with a fairly default setup and set my phone DNS to point towards piHole.

I've noticed while using piHole for DNS that when watching YouTube videos on my Android phone I get a lot more ads, usually 2 ads every 5 minutes.

I am NOT looking to block YouTube ads as I know it's not possible or easy but I'd like to know if there is a solution to the increase in ads volume? It makes it tricky as I'd like the benefits of piHole but watching that many ads on my phone is very frustrating. Many thanks

2

I think you may need to work around the YouTube issues (see link below). You're using the default YT Android app?
Try this, perhaps? Are you logged in to your Google account?

3

Yes something has changed at YouTube when it comes to Ad's I am seeing some increased ads on very popular channels, at the start, every 4 to 5 minutes, and then one at the very end. Very annoying if you are watching anything that is educational. I have tested with being logged in and logged out and at multiple locations and devices.

The creepy thing is I was in Michigan last week and watch YT vid's on a roku and when I got home the first ad was for a Detroit, MI service and I am in Illinois. I never logged into my personal YT account on the roku. Google and YT creep me out.

4

It was coming from a something like this

But if I blocked it completely, youTube is mad and wont show me the videos.

5

I use firefox in my android phone, then I downloaded the adblock app.

the extensions end in .xpi , anyways, Google does NOT associate .xpi with the browsers :wink:

find the " my files " app in your phone, then go to " downloads " and click on that xpi file, the OS will then ask you what file to open it with. it will give you a list , just select firefox and Voila. no more ads while listening to music at work.

now IF only there was a ADblocker for Samsung and Vizio tv's . this is why I bought a pi 400 and running pihole just for that . but it's a massive fight that never ends.

in my bedroom , I got a cheap used computer, and a 25 foot hdmi cable, that I run up to my Vizio tv, then I just play music on the computer with Adblock Plus on it.

I know Adblock Plus has made a deal with google, and gets paid by them, but they sure make it work good, no ads. sure would like a copy of that block list :wink:

good luck