YouTube Vanced finally shuts down after legal threat from Google

YouTube Vanced, a popular YouTube client that allowed users to enjoy an ad-free mobile experience for free, has finally come to an end.

Today, the Vanced team formally confirmed that the app will be shut down forever, possibly due to Google’s pressure. After a few days, all download links and pages will be removed, and the app will no longer be available to download. This choice was made for “legal considerations,” according to the developers.

The app has been under scrutiny for a long time because it wasn’t exactly the most lawful product on the market. While the users enjoyed it, YouTube didn’t since it went against the platform’s primary principle (and Terms of Service): advertisements. Vanced would completely take off creators’ ad revenue, therefore creators questioned its ethics. Furthermore, YouTube Vanced included a slew of unique features and bonuses that enhanced the whole experience.

The majority of these features were previously only available through YouTube Premium, such as Picture-in-Picture overlay and the ability to play videos even when the phone was locked, but Vanced provided them all for free. It also included additional customization choices not available in the official YouTube app, such as a true black theme. There’s also a SponsorBlock API that bypasses intros, outros, advertisements, self-promotions, and sponsors that are included in the video and were added by the author.

Here is a message from the Vanced team on their Telegram channel;

“DISCONTINUATION OF THE VANCED PROJECT

Vanced has been discontinued. In the coming days, the download links will be taken down. The Discord server, Telegram chat and subreddit will stay for the time being. We know this is not something you wanted to hear, but it’s something we had to do. We want to thank you all for the support over the years.

Edit (1): The existing version will continue to work.
Edit (2): It was done due to legal reasons.”