Google recently sent a cease and desist letter to the developers of popular third-party YouTube mod app Vanced. As a result, the YouTube Vanced team decided to shut down the app’s development and take down all the download links. YouTube Vanced has been a companion for Android users for years, enabling them to watch YouTube videos without ads, play background audio, and other premium features. So, if you are a YouTube Vanced user and looking for a new app, here are the best alternative options to watch YouTube videos on your phone.
YouTube Premium
While this might sound obvious, some users started using YouTube Vanced due to the unavailability of the YouTube Premium subscription in their countries. Ever since its inception, YouTube has expanded YouTube Premium to multiple countries, and you can view the list of all available countries here.
Now, the best option is to pay for and subscribe to YouTube Premium to replace Vanced on your Android phone. It gives you access to ad-free and background playback along with offline downloads and a free YouTube Music Premium subscription. If you want the official YouTube app experience without any hassle and support creators, consider subscribing to YouTube Premium.
Pros:
- Official way to remove YouTube ads
- Access to YouTube Music Premium
- Supports creators
Cons:
- Can’t get Vanced features like SponsorBlock and swipe controls for volume and brightness
- May feel pricey to some
- Tied to your Google account
Subscribe to YouTube Premium
NewPipe
NewPipe is undoubtedly the best YouTube Vanced alternative out there at the moment. For the uninitiated, NewPipe is a free and open-source YouTube client that doesn’t rely on Google’s framework libraries or the YouTube API. You can use NewPipe without Google Mobile Services (GMS), which means it will even work on Huawei devices, and even use the app without a Google account.
Other than an ad-free experience, you can use NewPipe to download videos to your device locally and not just within the app. Furthermore, you have the option to import your subscriptions from YouTube, so you can pick up right where you left off. That said, it’s worth noting that you can’t sign in to your Google account on NewPipe, and that’s a conscious decision from the developers to improve privacy.
Pros:
- Free and open-source YouTube client
- No ads; privacy-centric
- Modern interface
Cons:
- Can’t sign in with Google account to sync watch history and add comments
Download NewPipe
SkyTube
Another YouTube Vanced alternative worth checking out is SkyTube. Much like NewPipe, SkyTube is a free, open-source YouTube client for Android devices. You can use SkyTube without a Google account and can’t sign in to your account to sync your playback history here. However, you have the option to import subscriptions, so you don’t need to search for each creator individually and start from scratch.
Notably, SkyTube comes in two variants — SkyTube and SkyTube Extra. SkyTube Extra supports the official YouTube player and casting, while the regular SkyTube app takes a conservative approach without additional features. However, the option to sign in to your Google account is still missing on SkyTube Extra. Based on your preferences, you can choose the SkyTube version that suits your needs.
Pros:
- Free and open-source YouTube client
- No ads
- Carry over subscriptions from official app
- Uses YouTube player UI in extra variant
Cons:
- Can’t sign in with Google account
Download SkyTube | Download SkyTube Extra
LibreTube
LibreTube is an upcoming YouTube client based on privacy-friendly YouTube frontend Piped. The app’s design feels modern and offers intuitive animations during navigation. You also get fine-tuned controls to pick the video quality and format during playback. These options are also available when downloading videos for offline access.
With that said, do keep in mind that LibreTube is still in beta, and you may run into bugs. We encountered a few glitches during our brief testing, the misaligned description you see above, for instance. However, we could expect LibreTube to improve over time, so you can give it a shot to see if you like it.
Pros:
- Free and open-source YouTube client
- No ads
- Based on Piped
Cons:
- Can’t log in with Google account
- Buggy for now
Download LibreTube
uYouPlus – YouTube Vanced Alternative for iOS
Those looking for a YouTube Vanced alternative for iOS should check out uYouPlus. It is essentially a modified version of uYou with additional features such as SponsorBlock integration, PiP integration, and VP9 codec. Notably, uYouPlus works even without jailbreaking your iPhone. You can download uYouPlus from the link below and check our guide on sideloading apps on iPhone to install uYouPlus through AltStore.
Pros:
- YouTube Vanced alternative for iOS
- No ads
- Can skip sponsor segments
Cons:
- Installation process is a hassle
- Occasional bugs
Download uYouPlus for iOS
Firefox with uBlock Origin
If you are someone who’s okay with using the YouTube mobile website to stream videos, consider installing uBlock Origin Firefox add-on to block ads on YouTube and other sites. There’s another Firefox add-on called YouTube High Definition that ensures all YouTube videos play in HD by default. You can go through our list of the best Firefox add-ons to install more privacy-centric add-ons to ensure a safe browsing experience.
Pros:
- Watch YouTube videos from browser without ads
- Sign in to your Google account
- Can use add-ons for extra features
Cons:
- Not a dedicated YouTube app
- YouTube mobile website might feel barebones to some
Download Firefox
Kiwi with UBlock Origin and SponsorBlock
If you prefer a Chromium-based browser to watch YouTube videos without ads, Kiwi Browser is your best bet. Thanks to its support for browser extensions, you can install Chrome extensions like uBlock Origin and SponsorBlock to watch YouTube videos without interruptions. Unlike YouTube Vanced alternative apps mentioned above, you can sign in to your Google account using this method. That means you can leave comments and sync your watch history across devices.
Pros:
- Watch YouTube videos from browser without ads
- Sign in to your Google account
- Skip sponsor segments
Cons:
- Not a dedicated YouTube app
- YouTube mobile website might feel barebones to some
Download Kiwi Browser
Change DNS to Block YouTube Ads
Also worth exploring is the idea of using a Private DNS like AdGuard to block YouTube ads. If you have an Android phone running Android 9 Pie or above, head over to the Private DNS option under Network & Internet settings to use AdGuard as your DNS. Doing so will stop ads when you are watching YouTube videos from a mobile browser. In case you are using a phone with an older version of Android, take a look at our guide on changing Android DNS settings for detailed instructions.
Pros:
- Watch YouTube videos from browser without ads
- Sign in to your Google account
- Blocks ads everywhere
Cons:
- No extra features
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What happened to YouTube Vanced?
YouTube Vanced is officially discontinued after the team faced legal pressure from Google. YouTube Vanced violates YouTube’s Terms of Service. and hence, the developers had to shut it down for good.
Q: Is it illegal to use modified YouTube versions?
Using modified YouTube versions is against YouTube’s Terms of Service. However, the legal repercussions are often on the developers than the users. Like YouTube Vanced, Google could potentially crackdown all YouTube alternative clients in the future.
Q: Which is the best YouTube Vanced alternative for Android?
If you are looking for the best YouTube Vanced alternative for your Android phone, you should check out NewPipe. It’s free, open-source, and has a modern interface without ads.
The Best YouTube Vanced Alternatives You Can Try
Although YouTube Vanced is still working for existing users, it’s only a matter of time until Google potentially makes server-side changes to break the Vanced app. If you were looking to switch to an alternate YouTube client after the discontinuation of Vanced, we hope this article helped you. In case you have recommendations for any similar apps not mentioned in this list, let us know in the comments below, and we will check them out.
Sagnik Das Gupta
