uBlock Origin is one of the most popular ad-block extensions on the internet. This is due to its extensive block list and features. However, sometimes certain services and websites can find a way to traverse and bypass their blocks.
One of the websites may be Twitch. Ads are annoying. We all hate them. So, what do you do when uBlock Origin stops blocking ads on Twitch?
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What to Do When uBlock Origin Not Working on Twitch
As you may know, Twitch works a lot like YouTube. Without an adblocker, it will show you ads before, during, and after video playback. These ads can be blocked via an adblocker such as uBlock Origins.
But Twitch developers are always looking for ways to circumvent your adblocker and display ads. It’s how they make money, after all. Here are a few things you can do when uBlock Origin seemingly stops working for Twitch.
Update uBlock Origins Extensions
The two most popular are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. If uBlock seems to malfunction for Twitch, you can try manually updating the extension. To update the uBlock Origin extension from Google Chrome, do the following:
- Run Google Chrome (or any other Chromium-based browser with uBlock Origin installed)
- Click on the vertical dots menu item (⋮)
- Hover over the More tools menu item
- Click on Extensions
- Set the Developer mode slide to the on position (if you haven’t already)
- Click on the Update button – it will appear along with three other buttons after you turn Developer Mode on
This will force Google Chrome to update all extensions to their latest versions – including uBlock Origin. Once Google Chrome updates all extensions, it will flash a message indicating so. Nevertheless, you can test if it’s blocking ads on Twitch once it is done.
Alternatively, you can try uninstalling the uBlock Origin extension and reinstalling it from the webstore. To perform this action on Google Chrome, do the following:
- Open the Chrome Extensions menu
- Scroll down to the uBlock Origin extension
- Click on Remove
- Google Chrome will display a short confirmation prompt on the right-hand side of the screen – click on the Remove Button
- Once the extension is removed, navigate to the Ublock Origin page on the Google Chrome web store and install it once again
The above steps ensure that you have the latest version of the uBlock Origin Google Chrome extension. Additionally, it will remove any scripts or settings that may be preventing uBlock Origin from functioning correctly or blocking ads from Twitch.
Nevertheless, once you’re done with these steps, you can check if uBlock Origins blocks content from Twitch.
To update the uBlock Origin add-on for Firefox, you need to do the following:
- Open the Extensions Firefox page by selecting Add-ons and themes from the burger menu (☰)
- Click on the cog (⚙) in the right-hand corner of the screen
- Select Check for Updates
If Mozilla Firefox finds any updates, it will download and install them. However, if it doesn’t find any updates, it will display a message that reads No updates found next to the settings cog.
Alternatively, if you do not trust this process, you can manually uninstall the uBlock Origin add-on and reinstall it. To do this, you have to:
- Navigate to the Firefox Extensions page
- Scroll down to uBlock Origin
- Click on the horizontal ellipses button (…) next to Ublock Origin’s enable/disable slide
- Select Remove from the menu
- Firefox will display a confirmation prompt (if enabled) – click on the Remove button
- Navigate to the uBlock Origin page from FireFox’s official add-on repository and click on Add to Firefox
Again, once this is done, you can test if uBlock Origin is now working for Mozilla Firefox.
Try Using a Different Browser
uBlock Origin tries to maintain consistent behavior for its extensions and add-ons across all available browsers on the internet. However, this is simply impossible. Sometimes uBlock Origin may interact undesirably with the latest version of the browser you’re using.
Fortunately, there are a slew of great browsers, from Opera to Vivaldi and Waterfox. Some of these browsers come with built-in adblockers, which may be superior to uBlock. You’ll need to test each and see which suits your needs the best.
Add Custom Twitch Ad Filters
uBlock Origin allows you to add custom filters. Most of these filters come in the form of JavaScript. To add the Twitch-Videoad.js script, do the following:
- Click on the uBlock Origin extension icon from your web browser’s interface
- Click on the three-cog icon to open the uBlock Origin dashboard
- Under the Settings tab, tick the option marked I am an advanced user
- A three-cog icon will appear next to the option – click on it to open Advanced settings
- Scroll down through the list of settings until you find the one labeled userResourcesLocation
- Replace unset with the following URL:
https://github.com/pixeltris/TwitchAdSolutions/raw/master/notify-strip/notify-strip-ublock-origin.js - Click on Apply Changes
- Return to the uBlock Origin dashboard
- Click on the My filters tab
- Add the following filer to the list: tv##+js(twitch-videoad)
- Click on Apply changes and confirm (if you’re required to)
Once you’re done with the above steps, we suggest you close your browser completely and restart it so the changes can take effect.
Use a Supplemental Twitch Adblock Extension/Addon
You can add an add-on or extension that supplements uBlock Origin’s capabilities. We recommend that you run these extensions alongside Twitch. Here is a list of the best:
- TTV ad-block
- Purple AdBlock
- TTV LOL
- Video Ad-Block, for Twitch
Using An Alternate Player for Twitch
Alternate Player add-ons allow you to play Twitch videos without ads. They provide you with an alternative media player to stream Twitch videos from. Here are a few of the best alternate player extensions and add-ons:
- Ad-free But 480P, for Twitch: This player allows you to stream Twitch videos without ads. However, it cannot stream beyond a resolution of 480P.
- Alternate Player for Twitch TV: This player is the most popular option. It allows you to stream Twitch videos without adverts.
Using uBlock Origin’s Development Build
As with most software, uBlock releases beta versions of its build for testing. If you want to have uBlock Origin’s latest features, we suggest that you download the development build for your web browser. It may come with fixes that allow you to block ads on Twitch. However, it’s important to note that they may come with bugs since these are development builds.
You can help the uBlock Origin developers by notifying them of any bugs you encounter. To install uBlock Origin’s Development build for Google Chrome, navigate to its page on the official web store. To install the uBlock Origin Development version for Firefox, do the following:
- Download the official Firefox add-on file from Ublock Origin’s Github
- Right-click on it from Windows File Manager
- Select Open with from the context menu
- Click on More Apps
- Find Firefox from the list and select it
- Confirm when requested by Firefox’s prompt
You can run both the official release and development build of uBlock Origin in unison. However, we would not recommend this. It can be unclear, and these extensions may interfere with each other. Thus, while you’re running the development build of uBlock Origin, you should temporarily disable the official release or remove it completely.
Using an Alternative Adblocker
While uBlock Origin is one of the most popular adblockers on the internet, other adblockers are just as good or even better. Here is a list of some of the best:
- Adblock Plus
- Ghostery
- AdGuard AdBlocker
- Adblock
You can try each of the above adblockers until you find the right one. If none of them manage to block ads on Twitch, we still have a few more solutions you can try.
Use The Adguard Adblocker Application
While Adguard AdBlocker has an extension you can install, you can also run it as a separate application. It will block all ads by analyzing internet traffic. The advantage of this is you have a central adblocker that blocks ads and malicious connections in all applications that access the internet from your computer.
So if you have multiple browsers, you don’t have to implement an extension for each. Adguard Adblocker is free to use, but it does have in-app purchases. It’s available for Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac. It’s another great alternative for uBlock Origin if it fails to block Twitch ads.
Using Twitchls.com
If the previous solutions didn’t work for you, you could try using Twitchls.com. It functions as a proxy that you can use to stream videos from Twitch. Furthermore, you don’t need uBlock Origin to block ads.
All you have to do is navigate to the video you want to stream, and you can watch it from this site. It’s completely safe and free to use.
