Fed up with skipping YouTube ads? Good news: we've spotted a sneaky way to watch YouTube ad-free – something that, before the avalanche of commercials, used to just be known as using YouTube
There's no need to cough up a minimum of $7.99/£12.99 per month for a YouTube Premium subscription... and no need to buy a dodgy ad-blocking app that probably won't work.
How to watch ad-free YouTube without paying (it works)
YouTube serves no ads in Albania due to its smaller market size. And while some Redditors have spotted the occasional ad, we tried it in January 2026 and were served 0 ads after 2.5 viewing hours.
But what if you're not in Albania? Well, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) and set your location to 'Albania'.
A word of warning, though, You'll need a strong VPNs (not a cheap/free one). We tested the likes of NordVPN (try risk-free), Surfshark VPN and Express VPN – all do the trick.
It's clearly a popular workaround for bypassing ads without paying for YouTube Premium. If you're ready to go, sign up below and watch YouTube ad-free without paying...
Use a VPN to access YouTube Albania from abroad
NordVPN is our best VPN (we actually have our own in-house expert, Mike, who tests VPNs 24/7 and rates NordVPN No.1 for price, features, security, etc).
We find Nord works best for streaming – allow you to access your usual streaming services when abroad.
You can sign up in minutes and start watching YouTube ad-free...
Quick start: Using a VPN to watch YouTube ad-free
Once you've signed up with your chosen VPN:
1. Open the NordVPN app.
2. Connect to a server based in Albania.
3. Fire up YouTube Albania. If that doesn't work, try it in Google Chrome's Incognito mode and you should be off to the races.
4. Keep in mind that Google may try to close off this particular loophole one day.
In conclusion
It's an indictment of the average YouTube user experience in 2026 that ad-free access is now being treated as some internet Holy Grail.
It certainly doesn't help that skipping one or several ads at the start of a video is no guarantee that you won't then need to navigate one or more ad breaks and possibly an advertorial too.
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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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