At the start of the new year, your computer suddenly started slowing down when watching YouTube videos. Just a few days earlier, everything was fine, and then suddenly, all the performance was gone, as if some virus had taken over the machine. I noticed the same problem on both my old Lenovo and MacBook Pro. Chrome is updated, and the computer has been scanned with antivirus software, but nothing changed—it still lags, the fans are loud, and the battery that used to last for hours drains quickly.
It feels like I should retire my old machines and buy a new, modern, and non-lagging computer. I look for advice online, and most suggest turning off all Chrome plugins, which is a good tip, but I actively use those plugins and have grown accustomed to them. So, what should I do?
It turns out that the solution is very simple. In 2024, YouTube started actively fighting AdBlocker applications—everything that prevents YouTube from showing ads. I turn off AdBlocker on the YouTube page, and all the lag disappears, the computer’s performance returns, and there’s no need to throw away the old hardware or suspect that a virus has taken over. Instead of showing a message—’Don’t use an ad blocker,’ Google makes your computer slow, drains the battery, and spins the fans loudly. It also wastes your time trying to figure out the issue. I should mention that I already use ad-free YouTube Premium, yet I still experienced the full laggy user experience.
