AdBlock is one of the best browser add-ons you can use to block unwanted ads. The great thing is that it can be used with Twitch to have uninterrupted streams. Sometimes, AdBlock not working on Twitch so here is how to fix it.
Why Does AdBlock Stop Working on Twitch
Twitch developers are pushing ads to keep their platform free and to support content creators. That’s why their updates can interfere with add-ons you have installed.
How To Go Ad-free On Twitch
Use AdBlock, as long as it works. Be sure you use the latest version, and try switching to AdBlock Plus.
If it stops working, try reinstalling it or using some other adblocker.
Also, you can subscribe to the streamer’s account and watch their streams without ads.
With Twitch.tv having more than 15 million active users, it is definitely the go-to platform for watching streams. Many of the most popular streamers in the world are streaming their projects on this platform.
If you are an active member of the community, being a viewer or a streamer, you are certainly familiar with the appearance of ads.
However, sometimes you want to hide them, but AdBlock not working on Twitch issue may appear. In this guide, we will cover why that might be the case and how to deal with it.
Table of Contents
How are Ads Impacting Our User Experience?
Other than the fact that ads can interrupt our viewing experience, there are other, less noticeable ways that ads are impacting our browsing.
In the modern age of technology, ads have become an augmented version of reality.
Advertisers are focusing more on the visual aspect of communication.
User preferences have evolved to such an extent, that advertisements now have to be relevant and tailored to suit the user’s needs.
Having visually pleasing ads takes a toll on our browsers.
Many of these ads are ‘heavy’ for our browsers to interpret.
This drastically impacts the load time for websites, and that ruins the seamless experience of browsing the internet.
Some of the ads that we see around the internet even use behavioral tracking technology.
They download small files to your device which track what websites you visit, and the stuff you like on your social media.
This is a trick that can be used to target specific members of the audience and give them a more tailored ad experience.
How many times were you looking to purchase something online and you suddenly start noticing relevant ads popping out on the websites you visit?
This is a classic example of ad targeting.
Having these files downloaded on your device can put it at risk.
These files can be exploited in a cyber-attack resulting in compromising your sensitive data.
What is AdBlock?
When speaking from a technical point of view, AdBlock does not block ads per se.
AdBlock software blocks web requests directed to your browser.
In other words, this prevents ads from downloading on your browser.
When you block Twitch ads from downloading, you increase the load time for web pages that you use.
The behind-the-scenes technology of AdBlock relies on filter lists.
These are simple lists that decide what they are going to show on your browser, and what they are going to hide.
These lists are typically filled with a list of URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), or links.
When you try to access a webpage, your AdBlock software quickly checks the internal filter lists.
If the webpage you are trying to load is in the allow list, your webpage will be displayed correctly.
If, on the other hand, the webpage you are trying to load is on the block list, then the request for external downloadable content is blocked, and ads are not loaded.
The filter lists in question are most often managed by third-party communities.
These communities are often not associated with AdBlock software developers or associated with ad companies.
This helps prevent many internal issues for the developers.
Should I Use AdBlock?
It honestly depends on your personal needs.
My advice would be to use AdBlock while you’re browsing.
This does not mean that using AdBlock will not include any downsides.
But we will talk about that another time.
Using AdBlock can also improve our browsing and viewing experience:
- Browse Without Clutter – A cleaner browsing experience means a happy browsing experience!
- Reduce all the unnecessary interpretation that your browser has to process for you to view a webpage.
- Safer Browsing – Cyber criminals have developed a vector of attack that is called ‘malvertising.
- This means that a piece of malware (virus) is attached to a seemingly harmless ad.
- But when you click on it, it will download a malicious piece of software that can put your device at risk.
- Faster Loading – This is pretty much a no-brainer.
- With ads nowadays being extremely large, browsers can take up to 40% more time to load a webpage.
AdBlock exists for almost every platform and device.
You should definitely look into which AdBlock would be best to improve your browsing experience.
Why Does AdBlock Not Work on Twitch?
In a series of recent events, a question started to reoccur.
Why doesn’t AdBlock work on Twitch?
Most people that are using an adblocker for Twitch started noticing an interesting recurrence.
Twitch ads getting through AdBlock.
Premium users reported that even AdBlock Plus not working on Twitch.
Imagine the chaos that occurred when even paying users noticed that their AdBlock doesn’t work on Twitch.
There were millions of complaints globally.
Even I would be furious if I was paying for the AdBlock service and facing the unfair reality – Twitch ads are not blocked.
But AdBlock users are not the only ones experiencing this issue.
There are reports of uBlock not working on Twitch as well as uBlock Origin not working on Twitch.
All of the different AdBlock users reported a similar issue.
A pop-up window started appearing on their streams every 10 to 20 minutes.
The pop-up said that the user may be using third-party software that may be ‘impacting site performance’.
This led many to believe that Twitch is purposely targeting users that are using AdBlock on Twitch, and forcing them to disable the extension.
This is not true.
What Does Twitch Say About This?
A spokesperson from Twitch revealed that the reason many users, specifically uBlock users, were seeing this message was because the third-party software was interfering with the site’s code.
The person also stated that using an adblocker of any sort is not explicitly against any Twitch policies.
But, using an adblocker means that the streamers do not get paid for ads that they run on their channel.
Ads are important on Twitch, as well as any other website that relies on running ads for revenue.
This makes websites like Twitch push updates on how they run ads.
Developers are doing this for the sake of improving the viewer experience.
But, often at times, this can cause unpredictable behavior with outdated versions of adblocker software.
The Ad Experience on Twitch
Even though many people may not be fond of ads, they are necessary in some cases.
For example, on Twitch, ads are necessary to support content creators and to keep the platform free.
But even with knowing that, I, honestly, do not like seeing advertisements on my favorite live streams.
So, I asked myself, how can I improve my viewing experience?
After a little research, I found out that turbo users are not shown ads.
I also found out that if you subscribe to a content creator, you will also not be shown advertisements.
That’s a great solution to support some of your favorite content creators on the platform, and get rid of those annoying ads!
Naturally, I paid a small subscription fee to my favorite streamers so that I could enjoy their content seamlessly.
But this is not the only way that you can get rid of ads on your browser.
There are several different extensions that you can install.
Some of them include AdBlock, uBlock Origin, and many more.
AdBlock Plus seems to be the most popular option on the market nowadays.
It has millions of downloads and installs over multiple browsers like Google Chrome or Opera.
AdBlock Not Working on Twitch – Conclusion
We have established the basics of how ads operate on the web.
But this raises an important question.
Does AdBlock work on Twitch?
The answer is yes.
As we mentioned before, Twitch developers are always working on how to improve the ad experience for both viewers and streamers on the platform.
This can often lead to developers pushing updates that may interfere with your adblocker.
If you notice that ads are going through your blocker, please make sure that your AdBlock is updated to the latest version or upgraded to AdBlock Plus.
If there is no new update for the software you are using, do not worry.
Developers are always looking for ways to improve their software.
You should wait until a newer version of your AdBlock software is released and update it accordingly.
Have fun!
