YouTube Premium alternatives for mobile
Just like the title says; I'm interested in being able to sleep to YouTube without ads, but I don't fuck with their business practices and they don't deserve my money. Unfortunately, I'm also a very inexperienced pirate and I'm unsure where to look.
Edit: for clarity I'm using a OnePlus 7 Pro with earbuds
If on Android, NewPipe is a great app. Blocks all ads and let's you create playlists and stuff.
Firefox mobile with Ublock add-on installed is good too.
This. Unlike ReVanced that requires a bunch of hacks to work, Newpipe is easy to simply download and install.
Has all the features premium youtube has, and unlike Vanced, it uses Youtube's API to serve the content, which means Google can't shut them down (They tried, and lost the case).
Because Newpipe simply doesn't use the advertisement API, you'll never see ads in Newpipe.
HOWEVER. Please keep in mind Newpipe is currently in spaghetti code form, and that means fixing a bug causes more to appear. They're working on a complete rewrite, aka Newpipe 2, but it'll take a while. In the meantime, you may encounter some issues if you're on the road for example.
I've had Newpipe shit itself almost always while biking, due to constant mobile connection tower changes. For those errors you need to open the app up again, and press play. It unfortunately doesn't respond to bluetooth play/stop signals in that state.
Newpipe is also focused on privacy so they won't support cast feature
When vanced went dark I downloaded a bunch to try. Libretube, newpipe, clipious, and pipepipe.
Mostly I've been using pipepipe. A fork of newpipe. It has seemed faster and less buggy from the start. It opens invidious links. It just seems to work better.
While libretube has the best import/export options (it can import playlists and bookmarks etc) it can be incredibly buggy and clunky.
The best thing is that you can turn off the screen, so you can truly use it as a music player.
the Firefox solution is the best, you can even have the floating vid thing
its even better than the main app, with no ads
NewPipe is one of the best recommendations.
There is also LibreTube, and YouTube ReVanced
LibreTube depends on a Piped instance, and YouTube ReVanced will need a specific youtube-version and MicroG for Vanced.
For revanced you can download the recommended version of youtube off apkmirror, and microg can be installed without issue.
Not true. Untick MicroG component when installing and select root install. It runs on stock Google setup same as standard YT app.
Statistically speaking most people here are running on an unrooted Android device.
Thus, giving a slightly more advanced answer going over the Root Install method is mostly useless.
Either way, I've been doing this for 8 years, I know what I am talking about.
Ignore ReVanced, go for LibreTube. It uses Piped in the backend to access YouTube, and it's got a really nice user interface on Android.
It also automatically blocks ads, skips sponsored segments, supports downloads, PiP, background playing, subscriptions, comments, live videos.
It doesn't rely on shady alternative G services running in the background, doesn't need you to modify any official APKs, it's open source, and you can customize elements you want or do not want to see from YouTube. Give it a go.
EDIT: And here are some bonuses it's got over alternatives: customizable sleep timers, channel groups, subscriptions synced automatically with your desktop browser (via Piped), the ability to proxy and reroute your traffic to YouTube, full Shorts support, live comments for broadcasts.
The problem is that LibreTube, NewPipe and others do not login or sync with your account. I really miss being able to save a video to my watch later playlist on my desktop, and later on watch it on my phone and it'll be marked as watched everywhere
With LibreTube that's only partially true. It doesn't sync with YouTube, but LibreTube on Android will sync with your favorite Piped instance on desktop, so if you also browse YouTube on desktop using Piped, you'll get that experience of a synced subscriptions list. You can use Google Takeout to easily migrate from the main YouTube to Piped with all your subscriptions active.
With NewPipe you're correct - there's no sync. You can import from Google, but there's no mechanism to sync with a desktop version.
That's perfect! This is probably the one I'll go with. You've been a big help my friend :)
Why ignore ReVanced?
Privacy reasons I guess?
Would be nice if I could sync my browsing history in a way that what I watch on desktop using my Piped account gets all merged, in a secure and private way of course.
How does LibreTube respond to fast-paced mobile connection changes?
I'm not sure, but one workaround is to download the video ahead of time when you have a solid connection.
One thing I'll mention for those like me that use the feature regularly, you can't cast natively from LibreTube.
Revanced. It's an universal dex patcher, primarily targeting Youtube.
it can remove ads and tracking and customize ui.
Didn't Youtube nuke this app? A few months ago I started getting a message that I need to download the official app to watch Youtube videos.
they nuked Vanced because they distributed a modified apk. Revanced is completely different, and it allows you to patch your own youtube apk with no ads, etc, avoiding legal issues. -> https://revanced.app
Newpipe, on F-Droid.
💀
F-Droid is an alternative android app-store that is Open-Source and prides itself on providing other, Free and Open-Source Software.
Anyone can host an F-Droid repository and provide their own apps there, if they don't like the official https://F-Droid.org one.
Revanced on mobile phone, Smart tube next on TV.
NewPipe, LibreTube or just Firefox with ublock Origin
Use the sponsorblock fork of newpipe https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe
That'st favorite solution
Firefox plus ublock origin, then just open youtube.com
I'll try this out
I use newpipe from the FOSSdroid repo
To me YouTube vanced with sponsor block, still works pretty fine.
Why? Vanced has been dead for over a year. Revanced has taken it's place and is actually maintained.
revanced.app
If you're willing to sacrifice the perks of using YT with a Google account (commenting, uploading videos, history and playlists saved in cloud, paid content, mostly anything else that might require an account), then I'd recommend NewPipe (especially the fork that incorporates SponsorBlock).
Despite the sacrifices, you don't actually need Play Services in order to use the app, and the playlists/history stuff is made up by storing that locally in your device. It's FOSS under GPL, too!
It also lets you watch other stuff that isn't on YT (Soundcloud, CCC, Bandcamp, PeerTube and most likely others that I forgot), and even lets you download the stuff on them!
I use LibreTube: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.libretube/
But I heard that NewPipe is also very good: https://newpipe.net/
NewPipe has the nicer layout for sure, but you have to use a fork for SponsorBlock, which means its behind on other fixes, most notably some audio track issues.
Thanks for the links
I'm looking for a browser on Android which will let me use Ublock Origin and NoScript.
For now I use Brave and a DNS filter on my mobile, it works well for YouTube
I use vanadium and adblocking on VPN , DNS adblock works as well. Bromite is a good option as well. The thing about putting Firefox on android for privacy/security reasons have a big issue , webview is chromium based . So basically you just get Firefox on top of everything webview has.
I see. That makes sense - I wonder if there are ROMs with a gecko-based implementation of WebView.
Well, I don't use WebView much, if at all, so I suppose it's fine for the most part. I might even disable it at this point
Firefox will let you use both
Will I have to manually harden Firefox, or is there a hardened version like Librewolf for Android?
I really like this fork of newpipe. It has sponsorblock and YouTube dislike built in
I use Piped (https://github.com/TeamPiped/Piped) for youtube both on desktop and mobile through the browser, though there is also the app LibreTube which uses Piped as backend.
LibreTube
NewPipe with SponsorBlock
On android you can do Youtube ReVanced.
ReVanced. Old Vanced is dead. Amd only use the ReVanced Manager from their Github.
I'll see if I can find that; thank you my friend :)
F***ing autocorrect
Just use Revanced or Revanced Extanded. If you rooted like me (OnePlus 7 Pro + Crdroid 9.5 + Magisk & LSPosed) just use the magisk module, it work great but on my brother phone (not rooted) he use it with the MicroG without problem but you need to disable the official youtube app if you don't want dupe app
I strongly caution anyone from downloading or even visiting either of those links. They are not official and set up by third-parties, who could be doing it for various malicious reasons.
For both, you'll also need Vanced MicroG installed.
XDA has a step-by-step guide.
That's good advice, thanks for letting people know.
You don't need microg if you're rooted.
Don't click anything. Those are fake links.
This is the official revanced github and the website is:
https://revanced.app/
Edit: i see my comments weren't updated and someone was waaay quicker than me. :)
You can try InnerTube of you care about music. It is like YouTube Music, but without ads, and can download the songs.
For videos, I am using ReVenced.
If you are just listening to music "InnerTune" might be for you. Uses music.youtube.com in the back, without ads and able to run in the background. Available on F-Droid
What device are you wanting to play the music on?
I've got an Android phone. I use earbuds to listen to lore videos while I sleep
Anything for iOS?
Yattee seems to be the best option, but it seems to be an app where your mileage may vary due to it being a beta.
Does libretube, newpipe or revanced support screen casting?
Lazy piracy with YouTube for me, VPN signup and burner account. Am I happy with their business practices? Nope, but they play too much cat-mouse with the blockers that I’d rather they take my ~$1.17/m and left me alone.
Since they made the payment changes I lost my Argentina acct.
No longer accepting visa without a back acct in another country.
I use songtube It is open source, you can download the videos or just the music, listen with the screen off, it is also a music player and it is more eye candy than newpipe.
I use revanced, but it does seem like libretube is better
For everyone suggesting Revanced, I used it for a while and found it to be incredibly slow and breaking up videos to buffer all the time. Was I using a dodgy version or was I missing something? I had it from the app store if I remember right. (Might be thinking of Vanced??)
Edit: Sorry folks, I wasn't bashing revanced, I was just pretty sure I had a fake app and wanted to make sure. Thanks for the replies putting me on the right track!
Was I using a dodgy version or was I missing something?
Yes. The devs never provided an APK or released it in any app store. You need to build it yourself by using the revanced manager app from revanced.app (official website).
ReVanced has never been on the playstore (you have to patch youtube yourself) and neither has vanced
Yep, that's confirmed my suspicions then. Thank you!
yes, use revanced manager. buffering issue got fixed in 3 days after it aopeared, 6 months ago
I don't know man, I watch a ton of YouTube everyday and YouTube also comes with YouTube music. I just prepaid for two years of their premium service and I might do another two in the event they raise their price, I want my access locked in. Besides OdyseeTV and Peertube are WIP. It was like $100 a year flat or something.
PIA and NordVPN are probably fine. If your pockets aren't super flushed those are good services.
If any of you guys are having a hard time with making ReVanced work, RVX Lite on Telegram (t.me/rvx_lite) provides safe, ready-made apks that you can just install and use with Vanced MicroG.
I wouldn't trust that for shit. Nobody should trust this. Revanced is not difficult, if you can't get it working, then maybe you don't have the technical nous to pirate safely (not aimed at you directly, just in general).