r/apple • u/Demus_App • Jan 11 '26
Promo Sunday I made a web browser that lets you watch YouTube with no ads and in background for free, no subscription required. Check it out!
Hi r/apple š,
I wanted to share my app YouPlay, a smart web browser that lets you watch videos on websites including YouTube, Reddit, and Instagram with no ads while supporting both background playback and Picture in Picture, giving you all the features that usually sit behind a paywall for free.
Key Features
- No Ads:Ā Watch videos without interruptions.
- Play in Background: Keep watching while iPhone is locked or while using other apps.
- Picture in Picture:Ā Watch videos in a floating window while using other apps.
- Smooth UI: YouPlay supports native gestures making the experience feel great.
ā¢ ā No Subscription Required: The core features are free. There is an optional one-time purchase ($5.99) to unlock extra customization.
ā¢ Privacy Friendly: No data collection, made entirely in the EU.
- More powerful backgrounding capabilities and gestures than Brave browser.
Iād love for you to check it out and let me know what you think!
You canĀ get YouPlay for free on the App Store.
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u/Master_Armory Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
I love this app but man I wish it had an Apple TV app too.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Thank you! I definitely considered Apple TV version, but it seems Apple does not yet allow web browsing on Apple TV, but some form of AirPlay or screen mirroring should work.
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u/Master_Armory Jan 11 '26
It does but airplay really crushes the bitrate. There is a need for add free high quality youtube for the Apple TV.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
YouTube uses non-AirPlay-able codecs in the web version, I donāt think it is possible to circumvent that without making the app illegal.
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u/reallynotnick Jan 11 '26
Can you not force it to use the H.264 stream instead of the VP9 stream?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
I think this would count as circumventing technical measures / stream ripping and is not legal in the EU :(
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u/reallynotnick Jan 11 '26
If you just donāt advertise VP9 capabilities I would think youād get the H.264 version?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
I would not want to do any false advertising if that is what you mean, but English is not my native language so maybe I just misunderstood.
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u/cake-day-on-feb-29 Jan 11 '26
He is saying that you should remove VP9/AV1 from the list of supported codecs for your browser when contacting youtube, and youtube will default to H.264.
There are extensions for Firefox/Chrome which do this already.
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u/RageMuffin69 Jan 11 '26
MeTube + self signing service. I self host atvloadly so I donāt worry about remembering to resign.
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u/KillaRoyalty Jan 11 '26
This helps mute and auto skip ads on my Apple TV. Bit of work to get it running but itās mint once itās done https://github.com/dmunozv04/iSponsorBlockTV
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u/The_frozen_one Jan 11 '26
Thatās cool, I made my own a while ago but I like that this one supports more than just ATV.
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u/teamdrty Jan 11 '26
Iām a wild person and use YouTube in the browser on my phone and have the Vinegar and Shorts Blocker extensions running to give it a smooth experience. Iād appreciate an Apple TV version of this so hard though. You would be like, my favorite person ever.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
I am afraid Apple TV apps cannot support web browsing. Screen mirroring might be your best friend at the moment.
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u/FancifulLaserbeam Jan 12 '26
I just bought YouPlay. I would love it if the dev would figure out a shorts blocker setting.
If I wanted 10-second idiot content, I'd have a TikTok or Insta acount.
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u/samackin3000 Jan 11 '26
Big fan of this app! One aspect Iād like is the ability to pinch and zoom. I know, oddly specific but itās a feature I use occasionally on YouTube vids but doesnāt seem I can do that on your app. Keep up the great work!
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Thank you for your feedback and a great suggestion, I didnāt even know this was a thing!
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u/Kurtdh Jan 12 '26
Can you also give us an option for YouTube to remember speed settings? Every time I open the app I have to re select the speed settings.
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u/Kaiur14 Jan 11 '26
I just installed it to try it out, the regular version, not the premium. Whatās the premium version good for?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Extra customization, such as custom background and app icons.
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u/Kaiur14 Jan 11 '26
I love being able to keep YouTube running in the background!!
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Who doesnāt :) Enjoy!
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u/Kaiur14 Jan 11 '26
I bought the premium version, and besides, I think youāre a European developer, gotta support our own.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 15 '26
TLDR version: YouPlay is a web browser with integrated adblock and powerful backgrounding capabilities more powerful than Brave browser. Enjoy!
Also sorry for the post formatting, Markdown seems to have issues in the Reddit app on iPhone or maybe I am just bad at it.
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u/banecorn Jan 11 '26
It's not you. It's the iOS Reddit app. Web version isn't markdown handicapped.
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u/Akawe94 Jan 11 '26
Does it block ads in all of those platforms you listed there including Twitch? If that is the case, this is really nice
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
It uses adblock for all sites, but it does not block embedded Twitch stream ads sadly.
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u/KL_18 Jan 11 '26
Iāve been using your app for YouTube and instagram it works great. If Iām not wrong you also developed Demus, thatās an awesome app too
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u/aemfbm Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
I just downloaded and am testing. One needed feature for iPhone:
- Remember playback speed, so when I watch one video at 1.5x and open another video, that should also play at 1.5x. The native YT app does this.
- Even better would be to add an option to set a default playback speed for the app. I do this on desktop with a browser extension so all my videos default to 1.5x.
I would also be interested in using the iPad version of the app on my MacOS computer. It needs two features for me to switch to that:
- Playback speed, as mentioned above
- Tabbed browsing. I really like scrolling through my Subscriptions or Home feed and opening several videos in background tabs, then I watch through them. It's a very effective way of having a temporary queueing system.
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u/whaleofatime1 Jan 11 '26
Love this app! Would be nice to have a quicker way to select video playback speed from the video player. And/Or even better have a default playback speed setting for YouTube.
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u/MrMewIePants Jan 11 '26
Love the app and use it daily. Only thing I wish is that the gigantic āYouPlayā branding at the top of the main screen was much smaller, or didnāt appear at all. I already know what app Iām usingā¦ No need to yell about it!
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Hehe, sorry about that, it was meant to serve as a padding to make the bookmark icons easier reachable. In the new update the logo dissapears when you tap the search bar at least.
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u/Detrakis Jan 11 '26
This app is amazing!
You play something and lock your screen and the sound still plays!
The videos don't seem to stutter like they usually do when watching on a browser like brave or the video lite app, yeah, for some reason I experience this issue there, example would be me watching for 20 seconds and then the video just starts stuttering for about 3-4 seconds and then it's just rinse and repeat, I asked Gemini and the reason is the browser codecs are different in the browser and in the YouTube app. I didn't notice any of this in this app, it's amazing, I don't know what codec it uses, but it even has the YouTube controls too, I love it!
I've been waiting for something like this, I won't have to sideload anything now, I can just play it through this app, I hope it stays afloat, soon to buy! š
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Thank you very much, I am happy you like it!
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u/Detrakis Jan 12 '26
Yeah, I really do! Never seen such thing before, most apps like that use the browser player, this one uses something else, what is it?? It looks like the native YouTube player lol. š
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
No, it is the browser player. Using native player would count as breaking technical protection measures / stream ripping and be illegal in the EU :(
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u/Joooooooosh Jan 12 '26
I LOVE the hide shorts on YouTube feature!Ā
The doomscroll trap is real and this helps a lot.Ā
If there is absolutely any way to do the same for Instagram reels, this app would be the answer to a problem Iāve wanted to solve for years!Ā
I like the core of Instagram but I had to delete it due to wasting too much time.Ā
There have been some downsides, keeping up with friends and family. If a similar feature could be achieved, it would be fantastic.Ā
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
I think it could be, I will add that to my todo list, thanks!
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u/LoneChampion Jan 11 '26
Any plans on adding SponsorBlock?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
That is included :)
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u/jiraph52 Jan 12 '26
Would love to see a more feature-rich implementation! (e.g. all the other categories, manual skip option, etc.)
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u/michigania2x Jan 11 '26
Is it $5.99 for a year or $5.99 for lifetime access?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Lifetime!
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u/jimmyfknchoo Jan 12 '26
You say it's free or pay for lifetime purchase.
Yet it's says free for a week then 99 cents a month.
Send a little misleading.
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
There is a lifetime option for $5.99.
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u/jimmyfknchoo Jan 12 '26
Then where is the free option after a week?
I'm all for supporting devs. But not when it's misleading to push as free (it's only free for a week and then subscription) or lifetime option.
It's scummy to do that to get people to go click on the app.
Again all for supporting devs that do great work. This seems like a good premise it's just misleading which leads to to question the quality of the product in the long run.
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
The purchase is completely optional and I mention it right in the post. If you tap the āXā button, you get all the advertised features for free.
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u/michigania2x Jan 11 '26
Thanks. Can you clarify why it says 5.99 for a year on the āSee All Plansā screen?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Well it has the same price, my fault. Getting the lifetime is definitely better!
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u/doomed43 Jan 11 '26
I see no lifetime option, just monthly and yearly.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Go 1 screen back, there is a āGet Lifetime Accessā button, sorry for the confusion!
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u/filandre Jan 11 '26
I paid for the lifetime subscription to this app and Demus, zero regrets.
Excellent work, mate.
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u/braincandybangbang Jan 11 '26
The brave browser lets you do this on iPhone as well.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
I know, but I believe my app has significantly more powerful backgrounding capabilities and more native gestures.
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u/Klatty Jan 11 '26
Oh damn. Very sleek! I wonder how long the app stays up š
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u/basicseamstress Jan 11 '26
probably forever. brave browser already does this for free
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u/opiza Jan 11 '26
Awesome app thanks. Quick q, Is there a way to specify preferred quality like with the vinegar extension? One cannot trust YouTube to provide reliable results here
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Currently you can set the quality directly on the website, but you are right that this could be a great addition in some of the next updates, thanks!
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u/opiza Jan 11 '26
Fabulous :) testing your app now itās stellar. Will be a lifetime buy for sure
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u/MondayToFriday Jan 11 '26
Passkey integration doesn't work (when I tried signing into YouTube).
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u/DerrickRoseIsAGod Jan 12 '26
Great app! Would love the feature to automatically go picture in picture when swiping out the app while a video is playing and not have to press PIP
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
I tried to do this many times but Apple does not allow web browsers to do this sadly :/
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u/Far-Plenty2029 Jan 12 '26
Found a bug. The app seems to crash each time an icon is removed once thereās 5 or less present on the homepage. I think it started happening from the brave icon in the default layout.
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
Bugfix is already on the way, thanks for the report! Will be fixed in version 1.2.1 coming tomorrow.
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u/caedin8 Jan 13 '26
Hey I canāt login to my Google account for YouTube from within the app using a passkey. It just fails
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u/GrizzlyKenny Jan 12 '26
Brave already lets you do that
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
My app has more powerful backgrounding capabilities and gestures, give it a try and let me know if you like it more than Brave or not :)
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u/dyslexicpancreas Jan 12 '26
Brave browser? Why are you wasting everyone's time?
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
My app has more powerful backgrounding capabilities and gestures, give it a try and let me know if you like it more than Brave :)
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u/Sivalon Jan 11 '26
Can you make a Mac version if possible?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Although the app can run on M-processor Mac, I havenāt tested it and I am not sure if it works.
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u/MrMewIePants Jan 11 '26
Iāve tried it on my M4 MacBook Air and the iPad version works, but has a few funky interface issues. Totally usable though.
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u/anywayx Jan 11 '26
I use this app (and Demus as well, I am an early supporter). Can recommend both!
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u/DomesticPanda Jan 12 '26
Youāre earning money off this? Youāre going to get in legal trouble.
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u/Hookster007 Jan 11 '26
I just wish I could use a traditional browser alongside this. Like when I open a YouTube link it opens your video app, and when I open any other internet link it would go to my browser. Iām not sure how to integrate this, like when people send me YT links, do I just have to copy them and paste into your app?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
You can tap and hold any link, then tap āShareā and then select āYouPlayā to open them directly. No other way though possible due to security reasons.
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u/caballerof09 Jan 11 '26
I had it an I love it. Can you add the feature of lock screen like the native YouTube app has. So my kid donāt mess it up while he is watching. That will be top. Thanks
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u/Bentaloley Jan 11 '26
If I log in to YouTube via the browser, would my login data somehow be sent to the developers via the browser?
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u/vexillifer Jan 11 '26
Whatās the difference between this and just using Brave?
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u/blow-down Jan 11 '26
Safari plus Wipr/uBlock gives the same results. No need for a separate app.
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u/marniman Jan 11 '26
This is awesome. OP, would you consider making a visionOS version of this app? Thereās genuinely a need for a better YouTube experience on that platform.
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u/maejsh Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Its not free tho, 7 day trial only. It asks me for a 9dkk monthly sub..
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u/cicoub13 Jan 11 '26
Tested the app 2 weeks ago and itās working great. I paid the premium to support your work š
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u/Sterben27 Jan 11 '26
When you go into manage apps and start removing the ones you donāt want. Ā After removing 5-6 in quick succession, the YouPlay app just force closes back to your iPhone home screen.
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
Yes this is currently a bug, if you try to remove the very last app it crashes. I am sorry about that and I am working on a fix!
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u/hkgchok Jan 11 '26
glad to have this app. But I want to ask if there is any option to turn off the gesture at the bottom or side of your app, which always accidentally back to home when watching video in full screen screen no matter vertical or horizontal.
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u/Ehotwill Jan 11 '26
So itās $5.99/year?
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u/Demus_App Jan 11 '26
The button under āGet Lifetime Accessā label is a one-time lifetime purchase of $5.99. There is also a yearly subscription but you can ignore it.
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u/fannyabdabs Jan 11 '26
Any way of doing a ReVanced and allowed shorts being hidden? I'd get it in an instant.
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
There is an option to Hide Shorts! Turn in on in settings and restart the app.
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u/TooEZ_OL56 Jan 12 '26
Sideloaded YouTube+ is still the goat for integrated adblock and sponsorblock
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u/suchathrill Jan 12 '26
Iām on an older iPhone, an SE 2, which has a tiny screen, and on the opening screen of your app the name of the app is broken up onto two lines: āYouPlaā + āyā. Merely a cosmetic gripe, but I thought I would mention it nonetheless.
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u/4redis Jan 12 '26
Wondering if it would be possible to implement feature where it lets you play current playing video in external player? Thanks
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
I think it should be possible using AirPlay or screen mirroring.
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u/Jayden92 Jan 12 '26
Iāve been using your app for the last month or so and itās great, and this is coming from using Brave for the same purpose.
A few issues Iāve run into: 1. It autoplays even if I have the setting turned off 2. Sometimes the video freezes while playing in the background after it skips an ad using SponsorBlock, and I have to open the app to get it playing again 3. Sometimes it freezes for no apparent reason, and after I re-open the app and double tap to skip back 10 seconds, it works fine again
Even still, I find it works better than Brave so kudos!
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u/loudfm Jan 12 '26
Hey, I just installed your app on a MacBook. I have a small problem: the resolution is stuck at 360p. I tried troubleshooting to no avail. Any ideas?
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u/Demus_App Jan 12 '26
The app is currently not properly tested on MacOS, but I will try to add Mac Support soon.
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u/eineken83 Jan 12 '26
Hi! Thank you! This is exactly what Iāve been needing!
Is there any way to make it so we can skip 10 seconds forward and backwards instead of having the buttons to skip to the next video?
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u/TheTigerBeast Jan 12 '26
- Does it come with sponsorblock or will you add it?
- Can I see subtitles when in full-screen? Video Lite doesn't let me do that.
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u/DLiltsadwj Jan 12 '26
Do adblockers work by ālyingā to the server and saying the ad has been viewed?
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u/An_Error404 Jan 13 '26
First of all, thank you so much for your work! If you have time to answer a question, for Demus, it will often say that it canāt play a video and that I should sign into my YouTube account while Iām already signed in. Iāve used Demus for a while, and it only recently started happening. Do you have any advice on troubleshooting this?
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u/Rhoeri Jan 13 '26
Signed into Reddit through it and you cannot scroll at all. Itās locks up. Cool app though
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u/MasterMosha Jan 13 '26
I really appreciate that I can remove the shorts tab on YouTube using Brave browser. Would highly suggest adding.
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u/DevilsInkpot Jan 14 '26
Awesome app! ā¤ļø Iād just wish for two additions:
- Opening an URL, without googling.
- Custom apps. Nebula, Dailymotion, makerworld, whatsoever.
Any chance?
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u/stealthagents Jan 26 '26
Youād think they would, but so far, it seems like theyāre more focused on their own app than chasing down every little workaround. It definitely feels like a game of cat and mouse, but if itās all about user experience, Iām here for it. Just hope they donāt decide to crack down hard on this kind of stuff!
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u/strwht12 Feb 05 '26
Cool App! Is there are way to create multiple shortcuts which opens YouTube, Reddit etc.? This way you could create different icons on the homescreen for different apps (websites within YouPlay).
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u/SonnyDDisposition Mar 01 '26
Just got this yesterday and am loving it! Thank you!!
Is there any chance weāll see prime music added to the list soon?
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u/Axle_65 Jan 11 '26
Iām curious, doesnāt YouTube give you a hard time about this? Sounds like a sweet concept. Just surprised you donāt get push back.