Whether or not it is a piece of {hardware} or a digital service, letting go of one thing you’re keen on is tough and might change the way you do issues.
That is to not say you should not pursue the artwork of letting go due to the troublesome withdrawal section.
The rewards post-exit are equally satisfying. That is my expertise with YouTube Premium.
I used the subscription for years and beloved it, however determined to surrender. Whereas I struggled the primary few days after canceling it, I’ve discovered to stay with out my subscription.
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Why I believed YouTube Premium was important
It is exhausting to not love the ad-free expertise
For a content material streaming platform, the core of a premium subscription is to provide customers an ad-free expertise as a result of adverts can wreck the viewing expertise.
Given how continuously adverts seem on YouTube movies, the ad-free expertise appears extra important than ever for having fun with content material viewing on the platform.
If I needed to rank my favourite options in that subscription providing, the background play assist comes second and maybe the very last thing aside from the ad-free expertise I beloved.
Listening to my favourite podcasts on YouTube with none interruptions from advertisers whereas engaged on one thing else on my Android cellphone feels nice solely due to the subscription.
There are different causes to like YouTube Premium, equivalent to Good downloads, free YouTube Music Premium, increased bitrate content material, offline downloads, and entry to experimental options.
By early 2026, these perks embrace AI-powered instruments like “Leap Forward,” which permits Premium customers to skip on to probably the most attention-grabbing elements of a video primarily based on aggregated viewer information.
Nevertheless, of those advantages, the one factor I used was listening to ad-free music on the YouTube Music app.
Why I made a decision to cancel my YouTube Premium subscription
The sudden draw back I found
After I purchased the Premium subscription, YouTube adverts weren’t as intrusive as now, which, from a shopper’s perspective, is a doubtful tactic to drive folks to pay for the service.
My resolution to cancel the service would not come as a mark of protest at Google’s manner of pushing YouTube Premium to everybody. It occurred due to the sensation that I used to be paying for a lot of the issues I did not use.
YouTube Premium prices $13.99 a month for the Particular person plan, and it’d look like nice worth for cash if you happen to contemplate that YouTube Music is included in it, which in any other case would’ve value $10.99 per 30 days for the Particular person plan.
Whereas I like YouTube Music’s suggestion engine, I do not like how a good portion of my exercise on YouTube Music is mirrored on YouTube and vice versa.
One main annoyance I could not stand was that subscribing to an artist on YouTube Music means you are subscribed to that profile on YouTube.
Even with the January 2026 replace that lastly introduced cross-device queue syncing to YouTube Music, the basic drawback of a “shared” profile and cluttered UI stays a friction level for customers who need to separate their music and video habits.
YouTube Music by no means labored for me as a result of I am extra into having a devoted area for listening to music and podcasts with no dependency on one other platform that serves a special function.
For the kind of content material I watch on YouTube, the upper bitrate would not matter. After taking these under consideration, $13.99 a month stings.
It has been a tough adjustment with out YouTube Premium
I do not miss it, although
It did not take lengthy to find the fault strains of YouTube Premium and notice that I am paying for a lot of the options I do not want.
Nevertheless, I took a step again from canceling my subscription beforehand due to the background play assist and ad-free expertise.
I anticipated it might be a tough adjustment and not using a YouTube Premium subscription, however I by no means thought the diploma can be this excessive.
After canceling my subscription, I noticed loads of ads in every single place on the YouTube app: earlier than the video, within the center, in the direction of the tip.
They now seem extra typically than they used to after I began utilizing YouTube Premium.
It is worse if you happen to watch in your TV. YouTube movies and not using a subscription on sensible TVs can flip into an advert nightmare if you get back-to-back unskippable adverts.
Regardless of the percentages, I moved on from YouTube Premium as a result of I by no means relied closely on watching movies on my cellphone.
Utilizing an advert blocker and Microsoft Edge’s image‑in‑image mode on my laptop computer offers me an nearly advert‑free expertise and lets me keep centered on different duties whereas movies play within the background.
When it is extra handy to observe on my cellphone, I flip to Firefox with the uBlock Origin extension. That workaround, nevertheless, is barely hanging on.
In February 2026, Google efficiently blocked background playback on most third‑social gathering cell browsers for non‑Premium customers, although some builders, like Courageous, are nonetheless trying momentary fixes.
I ended YouTube from losing my time and it nonetheless works simply wonderful
One click on for a tutorial, and all of the sudden you have spent an hour watching response movies
I am keen to pay to make use of YouTube if Google will get it proper
The times of avoiding YouTube adverts with out paying for a Premium subscription are, fairly frankly, coming to an finish. These days could also be over by the point you learn this story.
The YouTube app on my Android cellphone feels noticeably extra fluid and cohesive than the online model — sufficient that I would swap again fully if Google leaned extra into simplicity and important options.
I am keen to pay once more to make use of YouTube if Google launches a separate subscription plan that provides assist for background play and a totally ad-free expertise.
And with the rollout of YouTube Premium Lite in 2025, we lastly have some center floor.
YouTube Premium Lite presents ad-free viewing for many content material like gaming and tutorials, but it surely excludes music movies, Shorts, and movies you see “if you search or browse.”
It additionally lacks the background play and offline obtain options that many people contemplate important.
I hope Google finally brings a extra sturdy model to extra customers at a good value, as a result of who likes a “workaround” when you will get issues the fitting manner?