Have you used YouTube recently and felt that the Skip Ad button, which used to appear right on the video frame earlier, is now not appearing there anymore? Rather, the button is not appearing on the screen only? Well you are not alone, a number of users have faced similar situation where they were looking for the Skip Ad button while playing a video but it didn't show up. A user on Reddit reported seeing black rectangles over the skip button on desktop, whereas earlier a countdown timer used to appear there.
Android Police has also reported about not seeing a countdown to skip on mobile.
YouTube however, has said that it is not removing the skip button instead, it is just changing some elements of how the ads are displayed.
YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun told The Verge, “YouTube is not hiding the skip button. On skippable ads, the button appears after 5 seconds into playback, as always.”
What Is YouTube Trying?
Falodun said that YouTube is “reducing elements on the ads player” so that “viewers can engage more deeply with the ad through a cleaner experience. The spokesperson added that both desktop and mobile users may also see the countdown timer to skip an ad “appear as a progress bar on the bottom of the screen.”
The difference appears to be that while the skip button isn’t being eliminated, it may not be displayed in the same way as before.
It’s good to know that YouTube isn’t removing the skip button, but the platform is definitely increasing the visibility and placement of ads. They’ve also been taking a tougher stance on users who rely on ad blockers to avoid ads. While subscribing to YouTube Premium is one way to enjoy an ad-free experience, the cost of that service continues to rise.