What YouTube Premium Includes
- Ad-free video playback across all devices
- Background playback on mobile
- Offline downloads
- YouTube Music Premium included
- YouTube Originals access
- Works on iOS, Android, web, and TV
The subscription is operated by Google and billed through the account you already watch with. It is not software you install. Nothing changes on your device, because the change happens server-side: once the account carries the entitlement, YouTube simply stops inserting advertising into what it sends you.
How It Differs From Vanced and ReVanced
That server-side mechanism is the whole difference. Vanced was a repackaged YouTube app that stripped ads out of the client after they arrived. ReVanced does the same job by patching an official APK. Both work by changing the software on your phone, which is why both depend on keeping up with YouTube's release cycle, and why the discontinued Vanced build degrades a little further every time Google alters something.
A subscription has no such fragility. There is no APK version to track, no MicroG companion to keep working, no patch to reapply after an update, and no risk of the app breaking on a Tuesday because a backend response changed shape. It also covers hardware the modified clients never reach, including iPhones, browsers, and consoles.
What you give up is control. Vanced and ReVanced expose settings Google does not offer at all: forced resolution defaults, per-category sponsor skipping, custom themes. Premium gives you Google's product without ads, not a different product.
Why Some Users Prefer Premium
- Fully official and legitimate
- No technical setup required
- Works on all platforms, including iOS
- Supports creators through revenue sharing
- Consistent, reliable experience
The revenue point is real and often overlooked. Watch time from a subscribed account pays out to the channels you watch, whereas an ad-blocking client removes that income entirely. For viewers who follow small creators, that is frequently the deciding factor.
Why Some Users Look Elsewhere
- Monthly subscription cost
- No SponsorBlock integration
- No Return YouTube Dislike
- Less customization than modified apps
- Not available or affordable in every market
Premium vs Modified Apps
| Feature | YouTube Premium | ReVanced | NewPipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad-free | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Background play | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS support | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Official | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| SponsorBlock | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ (Tubular fork only) |
| Survives YouTube updates | ✓ | Needs re-patching | Needs app updates |
| Pays creators | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Cost | Paid | Free | Free |
Signing Up and Cancelling
Subscribing happens inside the official YouTube app or on youtube.com under the account menu. There is no download step, and the ad-free behaviour applies to every signed-in device straight away. Individual, family, and student plans exist, though which of them are offered, and what each one costs, varies by country. Google runs introductory trials from time to time, and those convert to paid billing automatically unless cancelled first.
Cancelling is done in the same account settings and takes effect at the end of the paid period rather than immediately. Offline downloads stop working once the subscription lapses, since they are stored in the app rather than as files you own.
Honest Limitations
- It costs money every month, forever. That is the trade against a free client, and the price differs enough between countries that the comparison is not the same everywhere.
- Sponsor reads still play. Only YouTube's own advertising is removed. SponsorBlock exists precisely because the segments creators record themselves are untouchable from Google's side.
- No dislike counts, no theme control, no forced quality defaults. The customization Vanced users remember is absent.
- Downloads are locked to the app. They cannot be moved to another player or kept after cancelling.
- Availability is uneven. Plan lineups and pricing differ by market, and in some places the subscription is not a realistic option at all.
Who It Suits
Premium fits people who watch across several devices, who own an iPhone or an iPad, or who do not want to think about APKs again. It also fits anyone who was uneasy about ad blocking on principle. Viewers who want SponsorBlock, dislike counts, or fine-grained playback control will find the subscription narrower than what they had, and should compare it against the ReVanced route before deciding. Our Vanced versus Premium comparison covers the same ground from the other direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Premium removes the advertising YouTube serves, meaning pre-roll, mid-roll, banner, and overlay ads. Sponsor reads recorded by the creator are part of the video file itself, so they play in full. Skipping those needs SponsorBlock, which ReVanced, NewPipe, and LibreTube support and Premium does not.
No. It is an entitlement attached to your Google account rather than a separate app. The official YouTube app and youtube.com both drop the ads once the account is subscribed, with no sideloading, patching, or MicroG involved.
Yes. Because it is account-based, it applies to the official YouTube app on iOS, iPadOS, Android, the web, smart TVs, and game consoles. Modified Android clients such as ReVanced and NewPipe have no iOS equivalent.
Signing in to a patched client with a subscribed account is technically possible, but the two overlap heavily and the account carries the same terms-of-service exposure as any other modified client. Most subscribers have no reason to run both.
Offline downloads are stored inside the YouTube app and stop playing once the subscription lapses. They are not portable media files, so they cannot be moved to another player or kept after cancellation.