Avoiding interruptions – strategies for enjoying the news on YouTube

  • 2024-02-06

Watching the news from around the world on YouTube has become the best way to keep up with current events. This is especially true if you don’t have cable. But if you don’t have YouTube Premium, your viewing time can get interrupted by advertisements that pop up in the middle of a video. 

The best way to get rid of these irritating ads is to use an ad blocker for YouTube. There are also many other strategies you can resort to in order to avoid disruptions when watching important news. Read on to find out how to get uninterrupted viewing time on YouTube.  

Ad blockers for YouTube – how do they work? 

Ad blockers can be extensions that you integrate into your browser, or you can use a VPN (virtual private network) like SurfShark or NordVPN. One of the many features of these platforms is to disable invasive advertisements on streaming sites, websites, or apps. 

When used with a built-in ad blocker, VPNs disable or block all forms of ads thanks to intelligent filters. The latter help ad blockers spot strands of code and elements of commercial nature. Hence, the technology bids a smooth disabling of all the components designed to display ads on websites and streaming sites. 

What happens when you use an ad blocker? 

The purpose of ad blockers is to improve your online experience when visiting a website or watching the news on YouTube. Certain ads can be extremely intrusive because they pop up at varying intervals unexpectedly. 

Some news channels or reporters on YouTube may allow ads to run on their videos because they generate revenue through monetization. However, at the cost of a seamless and efficient video-viewing. Using an ad blocker to stream the news is the best way to get continuous watch time without the irritating advertisements. 

Additionally, some ad blockers can improve your online privacy by preventing websites from tracking your online activity. 

Make a playlist of all news-related videos 

While watching news videos on YouTube, you may get suggestions for other content that’s not related to current events or the news. If you only want to stream the news from various channels, consider creating a playlist. 

This method allows you to control what you watch on YouTube, so you don’t get suggestions for videos you’re not interested in. Though a small step, it optimizes your overall news organization on the platform. Another benefit is that you can share your playlist with friends or other social media platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter

You can easily create a playlist on your devices. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you complete the task on your smartphone:

1. Log in to the YouTube app. 

2. Use the search bar to find the videos you want to add to your playlist. 

3. Type the title of the video in the search bar. 

4. Tap on the three dots in the lower right corner of the video.

5. Select ‘Save to Playlist.’ 

6. Click on ‘New Playlist’ or add the video to an existing playlist on the screen.

7. You can view your playlist by clicking on your profile at the bottom right corner of your screen and selecting ‘View All’ to see your lists.  

Creating playlists on the desktop version is slightly different. Follow these steps: 

1. Log in to YouTube on your laptop or PC. 

2. Use the search bar to find the videos you want to add to your playlist. 

3. Tap on the three dots next to the video and click on ‘Save to Playlist.’

4. Click on the Plus icon to create a new playlist or add the video to an existing playlist.  

Utilize the auto-play feature on YouTube

Another way to experience uninterrupted watch time on YouTube is to use the platform’s auto-play feature. You can use this setting on your desktop as well as on your smartphone. This feature automatically plays the next video, so you don’t have to do it manually. 

Computer and mobile devices have slight differences regarding the auto-play use. To assist you, follow these steps to turn on auto-play on the YouTube app: 

1. Log in to YouTube. 

2. Click on your profile at the bottom of your smartphone screen.

3. Tap on the Settings icon in the upper-right corner of your screen. 

4. Select ‘Auto-play,’ and then click the blue slider to turn it on or off. 

To turn auto-play on or off using your computer, follow these simple steps: 

1. Log in to YouTube on your laptop or PC. 

2. Click on a video in your feed. 

3. On the video screen, you’ll see a Pause icon with a toggle slider. 

4. Click on this slider to turn auto-play on or off. 

Couple the auto-play feature with a personalized news playlist, and you have a relaxing session for catching up with the latest trends and updates. After all, YouTube’s strong suit is the freedom to create viewing habits and gateways. And if you have an ad blocker running, the ads won’t bug you either. 

Consider watching live streams

Many news stations choose to stream their videos live, especially when conducting interviews. This is one of the best ways to watch videos uninterrupted because live streams don’t have ads. Additionally, there may be a comment section where you can voice your opinion on a subject matter or chat with others watching the video. 

Final thoughts 

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to watch the news without the ad onslaught or other videos outside your interest zone. By using the tips provided in this post, you can watch newsworthy YouTube videos without hindrances, so you can stay up to date with current events.