YouTube is apparently slowing your computer down on purpose unless you change this setting
Users have noticed that their computers have been running much slower whilst watching YouTube videos, leading to frustrations and concerns about their devices' performance.
It's been a real headache for most, with some even thinking they need to buy a new computer to fix the problem.
But what's been causing all this trouble?
Well, YouTube has reportedly been indirectly slowing down your computer's performance, especially when users are on the platform.
Advert
Users have claimed that the Google-owned platform was intentionally causing these performance issues to push users into disabling their ad blockers.
In fact, YouTube is allegedly increasing CPU power when an ad blocker is in use, causing some PCs to sound 'like a f*cking jet,' and as a result, slowing down overall device performance.
This puts many of us in a bit of a predicament: endure more ads during videos or continue facing potential computer slowdowns.
Well, neither option seems appealing.
However, if users wish to go with the former option, they can change their settings and disable the ad blocker from Google Chrome.
Additionally, users suggest to others that they should try using different ad blockers as a solution, but there's been no official confirmation as to whether this is a true fix.
Another alternative is a paid method.
This is particularly unfair, given the growing number of subscription services increasing their prices. YouTube Premium users can experience ad-free viewing if they fork out £12.99 a month.
Reddit users have been taking to the online community to try and dissect the problem, confirming to others that it's not just them. One Redditor said: 'I have the same issue and going by reports everywhere on the internet you're not alone. Youtube is a mess right now.'
One user reported: 'It's because of Adblock. Youtube are trying new invasive ways of ruining your system, instead of denying you access they will just make your pc run YT at 100x worse performance (and it will also affect your actual pc performance overall).'
Not only is the site purposefully slowing down video buffing but it’s also 'killing' Chrome. One frustrated Reddit user called it out: 'One thing to add also, this messes up the resources on the computer as a whole. It just kills Chrome, it seems.'
Unsurprisingly, YouTube has recently denied responsibility for these slowdowns, pointing instead to issues with specific ad blockers like AdBlock and AdBlock Plus.
Nevertheless, users must decide whether they can tolerate the abundance of ads or risk slower performance - or for some willing to bite the bullet, pay for the Premium version.