Updated: October 28, 2026
YouTube shows ads before, during and after most videos, and many creators also read sponsorships inside their videos. If you watch YouTube on a computer, you have three ways to get rid of them.
1. Pay for YouTube Premium
This is the official route: it removes YouTube ads on all your devices and pays creators. It costs a monthly fee, and it does not remove sponsorships read by the creator or ads on the rest of the web.
2. Install an ad blocker for YouTube
A Chrome extension removes ads before they appear. It is free and also works in Edge, Brave and Opera. Check three things before installing one:
- It does not charge advertisers. Some blockers have paid "acceptable ads" lists.
- It does not sell your data. An extension can see the pages you visit, so read its privacy policy.
- It is updated often. YouTube changes how it serves ads all the time.
3. Skip sponsorships inside the video
Sponsorships read by the creator are not YouTube ads, so Premium and many blockers leave them in. SponsorBlock is a community database where users mark those segments so they can be skipped.
Comparison
| Option | Cost | Removes in-video sponsors | Works on phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Premium | Monthly fee | No | Yes |
| Ad blocker extension | Free | Only with SponsorBlock | No |
| Brave browser | Free | No | Yes |
What Qhawa does
Qhawa is a free extension that removes YouTube ads before they load and skips sponsorships marked in SponsorBlock. It also shows you which brands paid to reach you and why you were targeted. It does not charge advertisers and does not sell your data.
Add to Chrome
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to block YouTube ads?
Using an ad blocker in your own browser is legal in most countries. YouTube may ask you to turn it off or pay for Premium, but it is not a crime.
Does it work on my phone?
Chrome extensions only work on desktop. On a phone, the official option is YouTube Premium.
Why does YouTube sometimes detect my ad blocker?
YouTube changes its systems to detect blockers. Keep your extension updated; good blockers adapt within days.