Hey iOS users! Are you bummed out about YouTube Vanced being discontinued? You're not alone! Vanced was a super popular way to block ads and get extra features on Android, and now you're probably searching high and low for a decent alternative on your iPhone or iPad. Don't worry, I've got you covered! In this article, we'll dive into some of the best YouTube Vanced alternatives for iOS, so you can enjoy ad-free viewing and other cool perks without breaking the bank.

    Why Look for a YouTube Vanced Alternative on iOS?

    Before we jump into the alternatives, let's quickly recap why you might be looking for one in the first place. YouTube, while awesome, can be a bit annoying with its frequent ads. Here are a few reasons why finding a Vanced-like app is a great idea:

    • Ad-Free Viewing: Let's face it, nobody likes being interrupted by ads, especially when you're in the middle of a binge-watching session. An ad-free experience makes watching videos so much more enjoyable.
    • Background Playback: Sometimes you just want to listen to music or a podcast while you're doing other things. Background playback lets you keep the audio going even when your screen is off or you're using another app.
    • Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode: This is super handy for multitasking. PiP lets you watch YouTube in a small, floating window while you're checking emails, browsing the web, or doing anything else on your device.
    • Additional Features: Some alternative apps offer extra features like downloading videos for offline viewing, customizing the video player, and more.

    Top YouTube Vanced Alternatives for iOS

    Okay, let's get to the good stuff! Here are some of the best YouTube Vanced alternatives available for iOS right now. I've tried to include a mix of free and paid options, so you can find something that fits your needs and budget.

    1. YouTube Premium: The Official Ad-Free Experience

    Let's start with the most obvious choice: YouTube Premium. It's the official subscription service from YouTube that removes all ads from videos. This is a seamless experience, as it's directly integrated into the YouTube app. It stands as the premier choice for iOS users seeking a hassle-free, ad-free YouTube experience, providing a robust and integrated solution directly from the source. YouTube Premium not only eliminates those pesky interruptions but also enhances your overall viewing pleasure with features designed to optimize your time and engagement. By subscribing to YouTube Premium, users gain access to an uninterrupted stream of content, ensuring that their favorite videos, tutorials, and entertainment pieces are enjoyed without the constant barrage of advertisements. The investment in YouTube Premium transcends mere ad-blocking; it's an upgrade to a superior, more streamlined digital experience. Furthermore, YouTube Premium extends its benefits beyond ad-free viewing by unlocking exclusive features that elevate user interaction with the platform. These features include background playback, allowing videos to continue playing even when the app is minimized or the device is locked, a boon for multitaskers and music enthusiasts alike. Additionally, subscribers gain access to YouTube Music Premium, which provides an ad-free listening experience with the ability to download songs for offline enjoyment. The option to download videos for offline viewing offers convenience for those moments when internet access is limited or unavailable. Whether commuting, traveling, or simply wanting to conserve data, this feature ensures that your favorite content is always within reach. Investing in YouTube Premium is investing in a comprehensive and enhanced YouTube experience, free from interruptions and filled with features that cater to the modern, on-the-go lifestyle of iOS users.

    Pros:

    • Official and reliable
    • Seamless integration with the YouTube app
    • Includes YouTube Music Premium
    • Supports creators directly

    Cons:

    • It's a paid subscription

    2. Vinegar - Tube Cleaner

    Vinegar - Tube Cleaner distinguishes itself as a notable Safari extension, specifically designed to offer a clean and ad-free YouTube experience directly within your browser on iOS devices. This tool bypasses the need for a dedicated app, integrating smoothly with Safari to automatically block YouTube ads and enhance video playback. With Vinegar - Tube Cleaner, users can enjoy an uninterrupted viewing experience, free from the intrusive ads that often disrupt and detract from enjoying online content. Beyond its primary function of ad-blocking, Vinegar - Tube Cleaner enriches the user experience by providing a suite of customizable options. Users can choose their preferred video resolution, allowing for optimized streaming based on their internet speed and data preferences. This level of control ensures that videos are played at the highest quality possible without buffering or lagging, or at a lower resolution to conserve data when necessary. Additionally, Vinegar - Tube Cleaner offers background playback capabilities, enabling users to continue listening to their favorite YouTube content while multitasking on their iOS devices. Whether listening to music, podcasts, or lectures, this feature allows for seamless integration of YouTube content into daily routines without the need to keep the YouTube tab actively in view. The extension also simplifies the process of accessing YouTube content, streamlining the user experience and eliminating unnecessary steps. Vinegar - Tube Cleaner is particularly beneficial for those who prefer to use Safari as their primary browser and want a lightweight, efficient solution for improving their YouTube viewing experience. Its focus on simplicity and effectiveness makes it an appealing option for users seeking a straightforward way to block ads and customize their playback settings. In essence, Vinegar - Tube Cleaner transforms Safari into a personalized YouTube portal, offering a cleaner, more enjoyable, and customizable way to engage with online video content on iOS devices.

    Pros:

    • Safari extension; no separate app needed
    • Blocks ads effectively
    • Offers some customization options

    Cons:

    • Only works within Safari
    • Limited features compared to dedicated apps

    3. Brave Browser: A Privacy-Focused Option

    Brave Browser emerges as a formidable contender in the realm of YouTube Vanced alternatives for iOS, offering a comprehensive, privacy-centric browsing experience alongside its built-in ad-blocking capabilities. This browser not only excels at eliminating intrusive ads from YouTube videos but also provides a suite of features designed to protect user privacy and enhance overall browsing efficiency. With Brave Browser, iOS users can enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience without the need for additional extensions or subscriptions, making it a convenient and cost-effective solution. At its core, Brave Browser is engineered with a strong emphasis on user privacy, employing advanced tracking protection to prevent websites from collecting personal data and monitoring online activity. This feature shields users from invasive trackers, cookies, and fingerprinting techniques commonly used by advertisers and data brokers, ensuring a more secure and anonymous browsing experience. In addition to its robust privacy features, Brave Browser boasts impressive performance enhancements, loading web pages faster and consuming less battery power compared to traditional browsers. By blocking ads and trackers, Brave Browser reduces the amount of data transferred and processed, resulting in quicker page load times and extended battery life for iOS devices. This makes it an ideal choice for users who prioritize speed, efficiency, and privacy in their online browsing. Furthermore, Brave Browser offers a range of customization options to tailor the browsing experience to individual preferences. Users can configure various settings, such as ad-blocking levels, privacy settings, and default search engines, to optimize their browsing environment. The browser also supports background playback for YouTube videos, allowing users to continue listening to their favorite content while multitasking or with their device locked. In summary, Brave Browser stands out as a versatile and privacy-conscious alternative to YouTube Vanced for iOS, providing ad-free video streaming, enhanced privacy protection, and improved browsing performance in a single, integrated package.

    Pros:

    • Built-in ad blocker and privacy features
    • Background playback
    • Available for free

    Cons:

    • May block some website functionality
    • Different browsing experience compared to Safari or Chrome

    4. AdLock: System-Wide Ad Blocking

    AdLock distinguishes itself as a versatile and powerful ad-blocking solution for iOS devices, extending its protection beyond just YouTube to provide a system-wide ad-free experience. This comprehensive tool eliminates ads across all apps and websites, ensuring a clean and uninterrupted user experience throughout the entire iOS ecosystem. With AdLock, users can bid farewell to intrusive ads, pop-ups, and banners that often clutter their screens and disrupt their workflows. One of the key advantages of AdLock is its ability to block ads at the system level, meaning that it intercepts and filters out ad content before it even reaches the apps and websites you're using. This not only provides a more thorough ad-blocking experience but also helps to improve device performance by reducing the amount of data transferred and processed. By blocking ads, AdLock can significantly decrease data consumption, leading to faster page load times and extended battery life for iOS devices. In addition to its ad-blocking capabilities, AdLock offers a range of customizable features to tailor the ad-blocking experience to individual preferences. Users can create whitelists to exclude specific apps or websites from ad-blocking, allowing them to support their favorite content creators or access ad-supported services. The app also provides detailed statistics on the number of ads blocked, allowing users to track their ad-blocking effectiveness and monitor their data savings. Furthermore, AdLock offers advanced filtering options to block specific types of ads, such as video ads, banner ads, or pop-up ads, providing users with granular control over their ad-blocking experience. The app also includes anti-tracking features to prevent websites from collecting personal data and monitoring online activity, enhancing user privacy and security. In conclusion, AdLock stands out as a comprehensive and customizable ad-blocking solution for iOS, providing system-wide ad protection, improved device performance, and enhanced user privacy in a single, easy-to-use package.

    Pros:

    • Blocks ads system-wide
    • Customizable filters and whitelists
    • Improves browsing speed

    Cons:

    • Can be a bit pricey
    • May interfere with some app functionality

    5. Luna VPN: Ad Blocker

    Luna VPN presents itself as a multifaceted solution for iOS users, combining the functionalities of a VPN service with robust ad-blocking capabilities to deliver a secure and ad-free online experience. This dual-purpose tool not only encrypts internet traffic and protects user privacy but also eliminates intrusive ads from websites and apps, including YouTube. With Luna VPN, users can enjoy a seamless and uninterrupted browsing experience, free from the distractions and annoyances of online advertising. One of the primary benefits of Luna VPN is its ability to block ads at the network level, meaning that it intercepts and filters out ad content before it even reaches the device. This provides a comprehensive ad-blocking experience that extends across all apps and websites, ensuring a clean and clutter-free browsing environment. By blocking ads, Luna VPN helps to improve device performance by reducing the amount of data transferred and processed, resulting in faster page load times and extended battery life for iOS devices. In addition to its ad-blocking capabilities, Luna VPN offers a range of VPN features to protect user privacy and security. The VPN encrypts internet traffic, masking the user's IP address and location to prevent online tracking and surveillance. This helps to safeguard sensitive information and protect user privacy from prying eyes. Furthermore, Luna VPN allows users to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that may be blocked or censored in their region. By connecting to a VPN server in another country, users can unlock access to streaming services, social media platforms, and other online resources that may be unavailable in their current location. The app also offers a user-friendly interface and a range of customizable settings to tailor the VPN and ad-blocking experience to individual preferences. Users can choose from a variety of VPN server locations, configure ad-blocking filters, and manage their subscription settings with ease. In summary, Luna VPN stands out as a versatile and comprehensive solution for iOS users, combining the benefits of a VPN service with robust ad-blocking capabilities to deliver a secure, private, and ad-free online experience.

    Pros:

    • VPN and ad blocker in one
    • Protects privacy
    • Bypasses geo-restrictions

    Cons:

    • Can slow down internet speed
    • VPN services can be complex

    Important Considerations

    Before you dive in and start using any of these alternatives, here are a few things to keep in mind:

    • App Store Policies: Apple has strict rules about ad blockers and VPNs, so some apps may come and go from the App Store. Always download apps from trusted sources.
    • Privacy: Be careful about the privacy policies of any app you use. Make sure you understand what data they collect and how they use it.
    • Cost: Some apps are free with limited features, while others require a subscription. Choose an option that fits your budget and needs.
    • Legality: Using ad blockers is generally legal, but it's always a good idea to check the terms of service of the websites and apps you use.

    Conclusion

    So there you have it, folks! While the golden days of YouTube Vanced might be behind us, there are still plenty of great alternatives for iOS users who want to enjoy ad-free YouTube and other cool features. Whether you go for YouTube Premium, a dedicated ad blocker, or a privacy-focused browser, there's an option out there for everyone. Happy watching! Remember to always prioritize your privacy and security when choosing apps, and enjoy the ad-free life!