The team behind YouTube Vanced has announced it is shutting down the popular Ad-Free YouTube modded App. This is after they received a cease and desist letter from Google.
According to The Verge, a Vanced Admin said, “We were asked to remove all references to ‘YouTube’, change the logo, and remove all links related to YouTube products.”
For now the current app will continue to work in the foreseeable future, but without updates.
Why was Vanced so good?
- It removed all ads
- It brought back the dislike button
- It allowed background play
- It allowed skipping of intros, self-sponsored sections and much more with Sponsor Block
- And much more.
I still have the latest version on my devices, and will continue to use it until it no longer works, or a sure alternative arises.
What comes next?
Chaos. Of course…. ?
Like I’d already covered, YouTube is broken. Most especially the current ad situation has completely ruined the experience of watching something on the platform. Having something like Vanced – properly managed, with a trusted community – meant users could trust their data would not be touched, and updates would be available. And the experience would be excellent.
Vanced also offered access for Huawei devices which are limited from Google services.
With them shutting down, we can expect clones without verified developers springing up. They will obviously not handle things well. Others may try to keep the latest version of Vanced running for a while, before they give up. There will be tens of apps offering an ad-free YouTube experience. Most of them will be collecting users personal data or spreading malware.
Before you say, “Just use YouTube Premium!”, remember the service isn’t available worldwide.
For now, use Smart Tube on Android TV before it’s also shut down. Or use plugins and ad-blockers on Web Browsers.
