DuckDuckGo Browser Expands YouTube Ad Blocking Across Desktop and iOS
DuckDuckGo says its free browser now blocks most YouTube video ads—pre-roll and mid-roll—by default on iPhone, Windows, and Mac with the latest version; Android support is coming soon and can be enabled in the app’s settings. The ad-blocking works only inside the browser (not in the YouTube app) and relies on community filter lists from uBlock Origin plus DuckDuckGo’s rules for compatibility, which may cause a brief buffering before video loads. It blocks most but not all ads, while standard YouTube features like watch history and playlist progress remain available when using YouTube’s site inside the DuckDuckGo browser; this feature is separate from DuckDuckGo’s built-in YouTube viewer, Duck Player.