This is a bit of a shocker, but it turns out that Google isn’t very happy about third-party apps that allow users to watch YouTube videos without ads.
As announced by its project leaders today, Vanced, a modded version of the original app that boasts all sorts of neat features that are normally available through YouTube Premium (e.g., ad blocking, background playback), has been discontinued, with all download inks scheduled to be taken down in the coming days. No reason was given, but the popular theory is that Google finally had enough and unleashed its lawyers to ensure that Vanced would no longer be supported.
The death of Vance is a major loss for the modding community, but alternatives remain available. Among them is NewPipe, a lightweight Android app that similarly disposes of annoying ads while introducing other benefits, such as reduced permissions.
Vanced has been discontinued. In the coming days, the download links on the website will be taken down. We know this is not something you wanted to hear but it's something we need to do. Thank you all for supporting us over the years.
— Vanced Official (@YTVanced) March 13, 2022
Google finally succeeds in killing YouTube Vanced (Android Police)
- No clear reason was given as to why it was killed off, so we can only speculate — but it’s likely due to Google’s legal department taking notice of Vanced. The tech giant has been cracking down on unauthorized clients lately, such as a pair of popular Discord bots for listening to music on a server, Groovy and Rythm.
- The convenience of YouTube Vanced earned some passionate backers. The app unlocked or circumvented many Premium features like background playback and ad blocking, and it added features YouTube didn’t like at all, like those pesky dislike counters.
- Vanced was never the only alternative YouTube app. Others include open-source NewPipe, which is more lightweight than the official app. But YouTube Vanced had a huge user base, and we’ll miss it.