Why YSK: Youtube’s enshittification creates an abysmal experience. There’s a list of Chrome extensions I’ve collected over the years that each fix an aspect of Youtube to bring back a genuine experience. I’ve seen in comments people mention one or two of these at a time, so this is a pack that contains everything you could need, and more.

Sample:

Essential Plugins:

  • Ghostery: Blocks trackers and ads
  • uBlock Origin: Blocks In-video ads
  • SponsorBlock: Skips in-video sponsor segments
  • Return Youtube Dislike: Returns the dislike button
  • DeArrow: Better titles and thumbnails, removes clickbait
  • Youtube Redux: Returns youtube to the older style
  • Style Bot: This tool allows you to edit CSS. With a bit of setup, you can use it to block sponsored videos from appearing in our video suggestions:
  1. Open Stylebot options
  2. Styles > New Style

URL: Youtube.com

CSS (copy and paste):

ytd-ad-slot-renderer,
ytd-rich-item-renderer:has(
  > #content
    > ytd-ad-slot-renderer
){
  display: none;
}
  1. Save Style and Refresh Youtube

Optional:

  • TheMightyCat@lemm.ee
    48·
    27 days ago

    I would suggest using another frontend like freetube then trying to fix google’s frontend.

    • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      18·
      27 days ago

      This. Youtube is dead to me.

      Sounds like OP actually interacts on the site with comments and likes and whatever so I can’t account for that.

      In my case I get by with a combination of freetube and tubearchivist. I expect that one day youtube will find a way to finally close the door on this type of freeloading. Hopefully that will provide the incentive for more people to use more platforms.

      • grue@lemmy.world
        92·
        27 days ago

        I like interacting with actual YouTube because it keeps track of my subscriptions and watch history across my devices. (It’s not that I want Google to know my habits; it’s that I don’t want videos I already watched coming up in my feed.)

        If one of these YouTube alternative front ends would solve for that use-case without too much faff and hassle, I’d happily switch.

        • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          4·
          27 days ago

          You can usually export & import your subscriptions and bookmarks.

          Mileage varies between different apps.

          Many would call that faff and hassle. I’m not that attached to my subscriptions.

          • grue@lemmy.world
            71·
            27 days ago

            I need you to understand that manually exporting and importing subscriptions isn’t even slightly like automatically synchronizing watch history (including non-subscribed channels).

            • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              86·
              27 days ago

              Sure. This functionality just isn’t important to me.

              Also maybe just be aware that starting sentences with “I need you to understand” makes you sound like a bit of an ass.

    • SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org
      8·
      27 days ago

      Freetube is great but keeps breaking every now and then. I assume YouTube is making an effort to block it and others.