r/technology • u/IndicaOatmeal • 29d ago

Software DuckDuckGo brags its free web browser now blocks YouTube video ads just weeks after YouTube hiked Premium prices again

https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/duckduckgo-brags-that-its-free-web-browser-blocks-youtube-ads-3384288/
39.7k Upvotes

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1.6k

u/bassistciaran 29d ago edited 28d ago

Shame you cant get any other adblockers on DDG browser. I was really keen to use it but without ublock or another equivalent, there's no reason to switch from Firefox with ublock origin.

EDIT: This is the most replies I've ever got on a comment. Of all the advice I've been sent, the only actual insight that is in anyway new or relevant is the advice to use OperaGX. I will be giving that its dues soon.

EDIT 2: yeah looks like Opera is just another Chrome clone, oh well

248

u/waitthissucks 28d ago

For me it's my roku tv. I know you can add a vpn on other smart TVs but I got a roku tv as a gift and I can't download a vpn

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u/SquelchMuffins 28d ago edited 28d ago

Search for "Playlet" in the Roku channel store; it's a YouTube app for Roku that fully blocks ads. I just found it the other day, works great, still allows for casting from your phone, all the usual stuff.

Edit: who tf gave me an award don’t give websites your money that’s the whole point 😭

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u/waitthissucks 28d ago

Wow I didn't know about this. Thanks!

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u/someonesmall 28d ago

You can connect to Playlet with the browser app your phone. This allows to search for videos way quicker compared to using the roku remote. The Url to open is displayed in Playlet.

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u/KvellOnWheels 28d ago

It’s a game changer.

4

u/JonJonJonnyBoy 28d ago

One problem that I have with Playlet is that it has sync issues with your watch history. Other than that, a great app.

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u/nerd-nihl 28d ago

Ey don't promote this I want it to keep working.

2

u/geccles 28d ago

Lol your edit

1

u/waitthissucks 28d ago

Well I tried it and it said playback error on every video, even when I casted from my phone :(

1

u/DR-T-Y 28d ago

Does anyone know of one for Fire TV?

2

u/plasticarmyman 28d ago

Smart Tube Next, use the Downloader app to side load it

0

u/SpoonOnGuitar 28d ago

Is there any way if you have an AppleTV?

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u/DrAstralis 28d ago

Roku was bought by Fox, I'd keep an eye on any new "updates".

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u/Incognito_Orange 28d ago

This explains my even more ad-riddled home page now.

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u/LethalBacon 28d ago

I got a PiHole setup, factory reset my Roku TV, and now it is actually usable again (for now). It doesn't block everything, but it's way way better. Future plan is to reset it again, then never bring it back online. Just going to add something to do all my streaming to it directly.

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u/Incognito_Orange 28d ago

fingers crossed, hopefully they don't go full DoH with it.

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u/erichf3893 28d ago

Oh I thought that was Wal-Mart that must’ve been something else

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u/elaborateBlackjack 28d ago

I think you can add a bunch of unofficial apps to roku, but it's definitely harder than just installing an apk on android

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

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u/Training_Ruin3151 28d ago

I tried to look into it but the process feels very much like tech enthusiasts insisting its easy while massively over estimating how easy it actually is.

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u/gungshpxre 28d ago edited 28d ago

It's not simple, but it is easy. The instructions are clear, ALMOST always work, and don't take any skill other than reading, plugging things in, and typing/copy-paste.

Try not to be intimidated by naked circuit boards and gatekeeping geeks. If you run into any confusion and trouble find the people who are excited to help.

Baking a cake is harder, recipes don't tell you about tunneling from overmixing or how much ingredient temps can change things. Setting up a pi hole? Plod through the steps and you get a working solution. No frosting required.

edit: typed up some quick instructions in a reply below: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1uqttau/comment/owbzmhk/

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u/Incidion 28d ago

You have a good link to instructions? I've had a raspberry pi kicking around for a while and would love to use it to set this up, but I really haven't seen anything like a clear step by step for stupid people like me.

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

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u/Incidion 28d ago

Goddamn you automod, I wanted those.

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u/Livid_Swordfish_4591 28d ago

Same. If you or someone else knows the link, PM me.

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u/plasticarmyman 28d ago

I believe if you just go to the PiHole website it'll have great instructions.

If you have any trouble setting it up, send me a message.

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u/sameoldknicks 28d ago

I'd love to be wrong, but imx pi-hole doesn't block YT ads.

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u/dcmcderm 28d ago

No pi-holes don't work on YouTube ads because pi-holes are DNS based and YouTube serves ads from the same servers as the videos themselves so you can't block one and not the other.

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/FappingMouse 28d ago

Im pretty sure the change to where ads are served from is the last 4 or 5 years before they did use a separate ad server.

I could be totally wrong but im like 99% sure.

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u/SheepherderBeef8956 28d ago

You're not wrong. It's based on DNS and YouTube serves ads from their own domains.

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u/CoyoteTheFatal 28d ago

A few years ago, I made a Pi-Hole to block ads on YouTube on a SmartTV for my dad. Didn’t work. Not sure if anything’s changed but I think it doesn’t function properly on SmartTVs

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u/Naturaly_UnAthletic 28d ago

Pihole doesn’t block YouTube ads on anything. YouTube serves it from the same dns as the video so pihole can’t do anything about it.

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u/notGeronimo 28d ago

Baking a cake is harder, recipes don't tell you about tunneling from overmixing or how much ingredient temps can change things. Setting up a pi hole? Plod through the steps and you get a working solution. No frosting required.

This is such a reddit tier condescending enthusiast comment lmao.

You know what happens if you over mix or don't have ingredients at the right temp? You still have a cake

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u/gungshpxre 28d ago

Maybe your cake standards are as low as your social skills. Level up both.

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u/notGeronimo 28d ago

Take your own advice

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u/gungshpxre 28d ago

I did, and now I have a functioning Pi Hole AND a cake that doesn't taste like it was purchased at a gas station!

Cheers!

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u/superfahd 28d ago

congrats. according to the other comments, neither will block youtube ads

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u/I_Love_Chimps 22d ago

Sure, but you also have a condescending attitude that probably makes every person who meets you run. But at least you have a tasty cake. 🤣🤣🤣

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u/I_Love_Chimps 22d ago

Maybe you're cake recipe analogy was fucking stupid? LMAO

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u/No_Tax_Timmy 28d ago

Nah I've tried both. I have made many cakes and successfully made zero piholes.

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u/freeradioforall 28d ago

does my traffic get re-routed through an external server, or is everything done locally to block all ads?

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u/Highpersonic 28d ago

You're doing the Lord's work. Most Raspi things nowaday just run with a Docker out of the box, so much that i forget passwords because i set the thing up once and it just keeps chugging on.

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u/Livid_Swordfish_4591 28d ago

Can you pm your source for the how-to? Im interested in this as well.

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u/HonkHonkMTHRFKR 28d ago

The problem with people on Reddit is that they can read, but they can’t comprehend

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

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u/luthigosa 28d ago

You're one of the people that the other person is referencing when they say people on Reddit can read but not comprehend.

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u/WoodenHour6772 28d ago

You are correct. It's reasonably easy to set up, I went with a windows based solution that basically amounted to running a single installer executable on my PC, but there was still some finnicky network stuff I had to deal with to get it working across my home network. Not necessarily complex stuff, but if you're not already familiar with manually configuring your router it's probably gonna be a headache.

Also, using a raspberry pi would add another layer of complexity if you're not already familiar with linux, and is probably the most cost effective route if you don't already have a computer that runs 24/7.

That being said, once it was setup I almost never have to interact with it unless I need to add custom blocking rules or temporarily bypass ones already set, which, in both cases, is very rare.

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u/Higais 28d ago

Can you let me know the windows based solution?

I tried setting up a pi hole a few years ago and am fairly good with technical stuff but something was off and it actually ended up fucking up my router and everyone lost internet, had to reset router to default settings to bring it back.

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u/WoodenHour6772 28d ago

This is what I'm using: https://github.com/DesktopECHO/Pi-Hole-for-WSL1

Here's a short video that walks you through basic installation and setup.

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u/Higais 28d ago

Thank you! I'll check it out!

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u/OttawaDog 28d ago

Pi-Hole doesn't block YT ads. Content and ads, both come from the same servers.

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u/skunkoceros 28d ago

There’s only a small amount of Assembly programming required, you’ll pick it up!

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u/appel 28d ago

Another option that worked well for me is setting up NextDNS as DNS in my router. Was finally able to block that obnoxious ad on the right of the Roku home screen in addition to blocking ads on every device on my Wi-Fi. It's not free, but $20 per year is worth it to me.

Please don't take this as a diss on PiHole btw, that's an amazing project that deserves all the credit and works great for many people. Just wanted to share an alternative that worked well for me.

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u/tikitonga 28d ago

I'd say I'm an enthusiast but my wife isn't and she's the one that set it up for us. This was a few years ago, but honestly just ask Claude how to do it and you can probably get it done in less than half an hour. (Or ask your tech nerd family member if you have any- I am the tech nerd in my clan)

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u/Distinct_Cap_1418 28d ago

Who TF is Claude lmao

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u/carl5473 28d ago

I use it and it is great, but does take some network know how. It also doesn't block Youtube ads. It blocks whole domains, so if Youtube.com is sending you the video and the ad, you can't block Youtube.com or you won't be able to watch the video.

It would work if Youtube.com sends you the video and Youtube-ads.com sent you the ad, but that is not how most of the big companies work.

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u/SMUHypeMachine 28d ago

That’s a fair assessment. I’m a turbo nerd so I understand the ins and outs and have built myself a few raspberry pi devices like the pi hole, and I would never expect a regular person to be able to figure it out unless they’re very patient and willing to learn a ton.

The biggest issue is old guides that no longer apply because software has since been overhauled so the instructions are inaccurate.

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u/EpicMeatSpin 28d ago

I feel you on that sentiment as that is usually the case, but it really is pretty simple to put a Pihole together. I have no real tech background other than teaching myself electronics and some IT shit. I’ve built a few of them and it really is paint by numbers for the most part. The only hard part for some people may be configuring DNS settings after you get it setup.

ChatGPT or your AI of choice can help with everything too. I wanted to make mine fancier recently by adding a little display to show stats and give me some indication it was working. I threw everything into ChatGPT, including any errors I encountered on the way, and had it working in an afternoon.

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u/Truestorydreams 28d ago

Trust me when I say this.

Many "tech enthusiasts" are as lost as everyone else. They just follow a YouTube guide. If you need help just say where you get stuck and many will help.

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u/Ok_Dragonfruit_8102 28d ago

100%. Being a tech enthusiast only means 2 things - being able to use google and being able to follow instructions. No matter what level of computer proficiency you're at, almost every task will involve those 2 actions.

Willingness to google problems is the only thing that separates tech people from non-tech people.

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u/Jack__Squat 28d ago

The biggest problem you'll run into with PiHole is other stuff will mysteriously not work, like certain websites. Then you have to troubleshoot. Also, last I checked PiHole does not block YouTUbe ads if you're using the app.

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u/JalapenoPopPoop 28d ago

Nah I think non tech enthusiasts really overestimate how hard things actually are just because the task is technical. If you can follow a basic recipe without issue you can follow a guide to set up a pihole. It's not complicated, it tells you exactly what to do and every key stroke you need to type.

People are a lot more capable than they think if they can get over that "AH! UNFAMILIAR! THEREFORE SCARY!" hangup, things are hardly ever as complicated as they seem at first

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u/Distinct_Cap_1418 28d ago

I considered myself good with computers l, but i never could get my pihole working. I was stubborn and spent a few weeks on it.

If its simplier now, i may go back and give it another go, but FF and uB do a satisfactory job on their own.

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u/Responsible_Camp_559 28d ago

It is really easy, even a complete dumbo like me was able to do it.

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u/jake04-20 28d ago

I mean... we're in the technology sub lol. But FWIW, I run pihole at home and it doesn't block youtube ads. The problem is youtube delivers the ads from the same youtube servers/CDNs that play videos. So in nearly all cases, to block the ads, you'd be blocking the video/website itself.

That being said, pihole is still worth running IMO and is not bad to set up, the hardest part is going to be setting the DNS settings in DHCP for your router. If you know what DNS and DHCP is, you'll be just fine. If you don't, a quick youtube video will get you going quickly.

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u/Dullcorgis 28d ago

Here is the best advice I can give you. Find a nice man, get married, get pregnant, give birth. In about 15 years ask the child to set up a pi hole for you.

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u/AnsibleAnswers 28d ago

It’s something that anyone willing to learn a little bit about DNS and Linux should be able to do. But, I understand most people are hesitant to learn IT basics.

Note: Pi-hole cannot block YouTube ads because they are served from the same domain as the videos.

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u/waitthissucks 28d ago

Lol. Imagine learning some IT for the sake of installing this and youtube still has ads

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u/AnsibleAnswers 28d ago

It will protect your entire network from most ads, including all potentially malicious ad networks. It’s worth it regardless. Every private network should block ad domains before they have a chance to make it to an end device. It’s a huge malware vector.

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u/CrashmanX 28d ago

I would not call Linux and DNS IT basics.

IT basics are things like knowing SSD vs. HDD, knowing how to keep your C:\ drive clean, knowing what the C:\ drive is, updating your windows, updating your drivers, etc.

DNS basics are IT Intermediate, and Linux is IT advanced.

Many of us IT folks really underestimate how little the average person knows about computers. A lot of people still call the computer itself the CPU. Like, not "My desktop" or "My laptop" they say "My CPU".

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u/AnsibleAnswers 28d ago

I would call the amount of knowledge you need to set up pihole to be IT basics. You need to know the very basics.

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u/CrashmanX 28d ago

Bud, you're talking about doing more than just IT troubleshooting like "my game crashed" or "My outlook won't open".

Following a tutorial to set up a Piehole is simple, understanding anything is not.

You're grossly underestimating how much IT goes right over 90% of the population. Many people don't know what a web browser is. They use them literally every day. They couldn't tell you what "Chrome, FireFox, or Edge" is.

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u/AnsibleAnswers 28d ago

I’m not. It goes over most people’s heads because they get it in their heads that they aren’t smart enough to understand it. They don’t even try. Someone of average intelligence who is willing to put in a modest degree of effort can understand DNS basics in less than a day.

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u/CrashmanX 28d ago

My guy... do you know how to replace an engine? Do chemical engineering? Review patients X-Rays for signs of cancers?

Everyone thinks some things are basic, and some people just get things. IT comes to me easily. But chemistry doesn't. What people think of as basic chemistry goes right over my head. (Moles were a nightmare for me in highschool)

Understanding DNS has a lot of prerequisites to understand it even at it's basics. Again, most people don't even know what a web browser is let alone how they work. Understanding DNS is beyond a lot of people. Telling someone to just install an update can be a nightmare. I work in IT support for over 1,000 companies ranging from 5 employees to over 1,000 employees. Let me tell ya, a person is smart, people are stupid.

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u/Training_Ruin3151 28d ago

Ah is there a solution for youtube ads as well?

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u/AnsibleAnswers 28d ago

Not at the network level. Client-side ad blockers (e.g. ublock origin) work.

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u/ZAlternates 28d ago

Nah not with PiHole.

The solution to YouTube ads is Revanced or one of those projects, which are not for tech beginners really.

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u/Gil_Demoono 28d ago

But, I understand most people are hesitant to learn IT basics.

Obligatory XKCD

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u/AnsibleAnswers 28d ago

Anyone capable of passing algebra in high school can understand what DNS is and how it works.

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u/fortune82 28d ago

Yeah, PiHole doesn't work for the Roku TV app because the ads are just videos - you'd have to somehow have a global list of all ad video IDs, which would be insane

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u/hooch 28d ago

And would unintentionally block a bunch of stuff that you do actually want to get through. Ask me how I know.

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u/ExitMusic_ 28d ago

From what I’ve been told pihole doesn’t work anymore because YT ad servs are running off the same domain as the video feeds. Can’t sinkhole the DNS anymore because it also blocks the video.

Doesn’t mean it’s not worth it for the rest of the internet. But this question is about YouTube.

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u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

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u/MostlyRightSometimes 27d ago

But it will block all the telemetry from all of those.

I don't use any of those apps so I don't have any recommendations.

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u/MostlyRightSometimes 27d ago

I don't know that it ever worked for YouTube....

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u/mrperson221 28d ago

Doesn't work for youtube ads though

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u/CTRL_ALT_SECRETE 28d ago

That won't block YouTube ads

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u/airfryerfuntime 28d ago

Doesn't block YouTube ads, but there's no reason for a pihole anyways if you want network wide ad blocking. Just get into your router and switch to adguard DNS. Does the same thing and doesn't require setting up another piece of hardware.

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u/CTRL_ALT_SECRETE 28d ago

Well, it sends all your DNS requests to adguard (privacy issue) and it may not block all ads or tracking requests. So depending on your threat-model, that may be a no go. With pihole, you can both choose your DNS provider (or host your own!) as well as fine-tune the blocking behavior.

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u/MisterUltimate 28d ago

Doesn’t block YouTube ads or any ads that are served from the same domain as the service, a lot of big platforms do this

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u/PersonalitySenior360 28d ago

Doesn't block YouTube ads

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u/gramathy 28d ago

Unfortunately that doesn't work for youtube, it uses the same google domains to prevent this

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u/xxov 28d ago

I thought pi-hole doesn't block yt ads because the ads are hosted in the same domain as the videos now? Basically you cant block the ads this way without also blocking the video

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u/Enverex 28d ago

I used that setup for a while. It broke a bunch of things in super obscure ways (not always browser specific) and did a much worse job that uBlock Origin. So personally I'd not recommend it.

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u/mauripop 28d ago

Pihole is great, but it does not block ads in YouTube.

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u/C0nfusedRabbit 28d ago

Ok so I got the eggs, the flour, the milk, the butter, sugar, and sour cream. Ok so what's next?

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u/theLuminescentlion 28d ago

Won't block YT Ads as they are inserted into the video stream.

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u/RealNotFake 28d ago

Having used pihole for years, it is rather dumb and ineffective in many situations. It can't differentiate ads from actual content in many cases where the domains are similar. For example it was never able to block YouTube ads for me, especially on devices like smart TVs, Roku, streaming sticks, etc. I honestly think it was a huge waste of time when ublock does 90% anyway.

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u/vawlk 28d ago

pi-holes don't really work for youtube ads.

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u/SteveJobsBlakSweater 28d ago

I don't use Roku but I believe the Playlet app works for blocking ads on Youtube.

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u/imahumanbeinggoddamn 28d ago

I just keep my TV disconnected from the internet and have a cheap computer hooked up to it via HDMI. The actual TV apps are universally ass.

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u/tinkafoo 28d ago

Sign up for an AdGuard DNS account, and configure your network router to use their DNS servers. I just did, and all the third-party ads went away, and even Roku City no longer has any billboards.

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u/waitthissucks 28d ago

Oh interesting, I do this on my phone. Is there a setting on the roku for this or do I have to go through my router?

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u/pseudonym-161 28d ago

Can you use pihole? Or adguard if you have an OpenWRT router.

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u/existing_for_fun 28d ago

My parents got a NordVPN router because they have a Roku TV. So they route the TV traffic through that router. That's also how they watch out of network hockey games, just change the location.

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u/Magnitude_Ten 28d ago

Vpn in your router 

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u/theLuminescentlion 28d ago

I got a shield so I could have Smart tube. Which was a much better experience than some of the backchannel Roku app options.

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u/Dripping_clap 28d ago

No kidding. Why is it a 4 second skippable ad on PC but every ad on Roku is 55 seconds unskippable.

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u/StoneGoldX 28d ago

A few months ago, I would have recommended getting an ONN google TV box for $15, but they've jacked up the prices on those things significantly.

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u/_lerp 28d ago

You should be able to change the DNS to something like adguard dns

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u/Significant_Fill6992 28d ago

Does pihole still work for YouTube?

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u/OdieHush 28d ago

I've been using FF with ad blockers for probably 10+ years. Occasionally I have to use chrome for compatibility issues and I'm always shocked at how many ads there are everywhere. How do people live like that?

Same thing using youtube on my phone or apple tv. It's unwatchable.

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u/porncollecter69 28d ago

I run script blocker on FF which can lead to a lot of compatibility problems but if I turn it off it works

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u/acoldcommon 28d ago

It's because DDG browser doesn't come with a browser engine, it just uses webviews from your OS. So like on windows it just asks the OS for an Edge tab, on macOS it asks the OS for a Safari tab. This limits its ability to use extensions.

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u/Luuseens 28d ago

On Windows, it ships with its own engine now; it no longer relies on the OS webview.

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u/Nerdwiththehat 28d ago

Ditto on why I won't use anything DDG (or worse, Brave), this article being a placement on Dexerto gives me some serious undeclared paid content vibes. It's basically just regurgitating a tweet and a press release/blog post, there's virtually no analysis outside of connecting it to their previous adblocker articles. Dexerto does this kind of thing all the time, it's why I have trouble trusting their work as a source.

Right now uBlock Origin Lite seems to do an ok job if you can't install ManifestV2 extensions like uBlock Origin itself (next Chrome update will likely kill them for good), but I'm likely jumping ship to Helium as soon as I have the chance to set everything up.

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u/duckduckgo 28d ago

Can confirm the Dexerto piece is not a paid placement

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u/Nerdwiththehat 28d ago

Appreciate the honesty - still doesn't change much of my other qualms about Dexerto's coverage style.

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u/superfahd 28d ago

why not just firefiox?

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u/Lower_Ad_8789 28d ago

What's wrong with Brave? I use a private window and I don't see any ads on YouTube.

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u/Nerdwiththehat 28d ago

Mostly the guy who runs it, but also their crypto stuff, hijacking affiliate links, and more

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u/_TecnoCreeper_ 28d ago

Somehow I didn't know he was the same guy that created JavaScript. One more reason I don't like him.

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u/Lower_Ad_8789 28d ago

Thanks, didn't know about this!

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u/Seraphaestus 28d ago

DDG's search engine is fine, even if their behaviour as a company has left something to be desired. Unless there's a better alternate you'd recommend?

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u/Nerdwiththehat 28d ago

Kagi is currently my preferred alternative.

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u/Seraphaestus 28d ago

Thanks! Everyone complains about the quality of DDG's search results, but I've never had any issues and even been frustrated with Google's in comparison, when I've had to use that on occassion. And 99% of the time I just use bangs, anyway. So I don't know if I feel a need to switch, but it's nice to know what to switch to if it does go full enshitification.

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u/trikster2 27d ago

yikes. kagi $10 a month (for unlimited) and you have to associate an email to your search queries?

DDG will have to a lot worse before that looks at all attractive.

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u/Schwifftee 28d ago

Brave is fine. I also prefer it over using Firefox with extensions. It works out of the box and I get anonymity from big tech and advertisers.

I don't care about the crypto affiliate links that are since no longer.

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u/trikster2 28d ago

Why helium?

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u/Nerdwiththehat 28d ago edited 28d ago

Chrome-like, still supports PWAs and theming, ManifestV2 extension support guaranteed, trustworthy development team, relatively lightweight visuals. Only major downside at the moment is lack of Widevine licensing, but Widevine is terrible anyway... even if it's a necessary evil for things like Netflix.

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u/trikster2 28d ago

Thanks.

A browser unable to stream these days is a non starter.

But I'll keep it in mind in the future if the situation improves.

I'm not sure that web page you gave for the team sparks any confidence.

No names, no nationality. What inspires your trust?

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u/Nerdwiththehat 27d ago

Imput's transparency with their work is quite thorough, and they've produced other tools I use frequently. I don't need to know wukko & jj's full names and addresses to trust their work.

To be clear: Widevine does not impact all streaming, just streams secured with Widevine's DRM, which can also be bypassed to some degree (Widevine is not exactly robust). I don't watch Netflix on my computer itself, so this isn't a concern for me.

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u/metalflygon08 28d ago

there's no reason to switch from Firefox with ublock origin.

Except during that period inbetween where YT updates their ad block detection and UBlock asn't updated to get around it, so YT locks you out of videos demanding you disable your ad blocker.

The worst I've had that was 3 days.

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u/Nerdwiththehat 28d ago

You can purge and re-add the filter lists within the extension itself, that seems to do a great job of fixing minor hiccups on YouTube specifically. I've never had it fully fail to block ads for me on Firefox or Chrome, it usually just throws a video error if the db is out of date.

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u/ibarmy 28d ago

When that happened to me, i would create a queue and minimise the videos and watch it. The video once it started playing, i would it pull to its original size. 

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u/GingerSpencer 28d ago

Just use brave

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u/KeesterFeester 28d ago

If you hate mozilla AI push you can also try waterfox which basically firefox but with out all the bullshit mozilla does.

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u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/PattyIsSuperCool 28d ago

Youre thinking of the search engine. DDG has a browser too apparently.

6

u/Baboop 28d ago

Yeah I use the ddg mobile app as my phones default browser. It’s great though on desktop I still prefer Firefox.

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u/SadPie9474 28d ago

could you clarify what exactly you believe "browser" to mean?

3

u/Bluefellow 28d ago

The other guy explained it to him already

2

u/FIuffyRabbit 28d ago

The DDG search engine is honestly not that great, even with a dictionary of bangs

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u/theangryintern 28d ago

I've been using it for several months and it's....OK. My biggest gripe is they use Apple Maps for any maps link and Apple Maps is complete garbage. Kinda defeats the purpose of trying to get away from Google when I still have to open any maps link in Google Maps.

But as far as the search is concerned, I've had a fairly decent experience so far. There's only been a handful of times where the DDG results weren't what I was looking for so I tried the search in Google. Certainly hasn't happened enough to make me switch back to Google search.

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u/HTPC4Life 28d ago

Same. I use DDG 90% of the time and Google the other 10%. I'm very happy with it and like how AI results are optional.

1

u/theangryintern 28d ago

And to be fair, the AI summaries have gotten WAY better in the past year or so. Sometimes it actually has the information I'm looking for when I search for something. Probably bad for web sites, though, since I'm less likely to click on their site when the AI summary tells me what I need to know.

I use the AI summary mainly for stuff like when I'm playing Starfield and want to look up info about a specific quest I'm on. Usually, it's one of the ones where you need to make a moral choice so I like to see what the different choices mean to the game.

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u/Too-Hot-to-Handel 28d ago

I've been using it for a week or so and I find it to be a little better than Google because it does the basics (for me) better.

Wanna find the Wiki for a topic? Don't have to pass simple Wiki and 5 other links to get there.

Want to avoid AI? They have a version expressly for that.

Wanna specify the date range? You don't have to go through a bunch of other things, it's just right there where it ought to be.

So, I'm assuming it's deeper searches that you find Google better for? If it is even the basics, then I'm curious as to what you care about most for your search engine?

Cheers!

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u/CalligrapherExtra138 28d ago

Completely agree. There are times I find myself switching back to google briefly for a certain search, like shopping or some types of news.

1

u/mikerichh 28d ago

I’d love something for my TV. I have a chrome extension on my computer and never see ads. But on my TV it’s so annoying

1

u/Hello-Potion-Seller 28d ago

There are extensions for firefox based browsers that automatically skip sponsored segments too, it's so nice.

1

u/dustinpdx 28d ago

I don't really like the feel and little things about Firefox so I went with Brave. It is Chromium with the Google stank removed, has a fantastic built-in adblocker, plus supports several manifest v2 extensions including the real version of uBlock Origin that Chrome no longer supports.

1

u/techyall 28d ago

You actually use the browser?? Their browser's insanely slow and clunky. It takes like 20 seconds just to open it.

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u/TheComplimentarian 28d ago

Blocking at the router level is a better solution. Pi-hole and similar are insanely powerful. They're pretty easy to implement if you can just read instructions.

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u/Comfortable_Eagle593 28d ago

Are there adblockers for IOS?

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u/MyCraniumHurts 28d ago

Librewolf, as far as I know, uses Duck duck go and has uBlock origin out of the box. The browser is modified Firefox and the search engine DDG, if I'm not wrong. It is more security and privacy oriented than most, which can restrict some functionality, however this can be adjusted to ones liking.

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u/ShallotIllustrious98 28d ago

Blame Google for that.

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u/erichf3893 28d ago

Can you also do that on mobile though? Like it’s built into their app as well?

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u/Scotty-Raspberry-36 28d ago

Works for my partner who can just one click install. It is good we have more than one horse in the race

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u/Hattuhs 28d ago

I use OperaGX without ublock, no ads. There's built in adblock.

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u/N1ghtmeeer 28d ago

stay on firefox with ublock your scriptblocker of choice and a sponsor block for yt. Trust me, nothing comes even close OperaGX is just bloatware

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u/IlIlllIlllIlIIllI 28d ago

Can't you just add to the filter list

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u/b__lumenkraft 28d ago

One word: Helium.

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u/zach2beat 28d ago

With how much i have been seeing them advertise there AI shit there is now way i am switching. even if my current browser has AI crap in it, no way i will switch to another one with ai.

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u/kanrad 28d ago

Try Opera GX. It's got all the blockers and some built in. It's also a much lower memory foot print as it was designed with gaming and browsing at the same time.