Table of Contents
- What’s the easiest way to fast-forward YouTube ads on Chrome desktop using Developer Tools?
- Tired of long YouTube ads? A playback-speed trick can make them feel shorter on desktop
- What the trick does (and what it does not)
- How it works on desktop browsers
- Faster access: bookmarklets and extensions
- Limits, reliability, and what to expect
- Practical advice before you try it
What’s the easiest way to fast-forward YouTube ads on Chrome desktop using Developer Tools?
Tired of long YouTube ads? A playback-speed trick can make them feel shorter on desktop
YouTube ads have become longer and more frequent, especially on desktop. Many people look for ad blockers, but YouTube often detects them, and the experience turns into a constant back-and-forth. Another approach has circulated on Reddit: it does not block ads. It increases the playback speed of the video element so the ad finishes faster.
What the trick does (and what it does not)
This method changes the playback rate of the current HTML5 video on the page. Because YouTube ads also play through the same video element in many cases, the ad can run at a much higher speed than the normal player menu allows.
It does not remove ads, skip them, or bypass payment. It simply adjusts speed, so the ad time passes faster when the speed increase applies.
How it works on desktop browsers
YouTube’s on-screen speed control typically tops out at 2×. The Reddit workaround uses a browser console command that sets the video’s playbackRate beyond that limit.
A commonly shared example looks like this in concept:
- Open the browser developer tools.
- Target the page’s video element.
- Set the playback rate to a higher value.
Users report that higher rates (sometimes up to about 16×) can shrink the perceived wait. For example, a 30-second ad at 16× takes about 30/16≈1.9 seconds of real time.
Faster access: bookmarklets and extensions
People also streamline the process so they do not repeat manual steps each time.
- Bookmarklet approach: saves a small script as a browser bookmark, then runs it with one click.
- Extension approach: tools such as video speed controllers can adjust playback speed through a UI or hotkeys.
The practical difference is convenience. The underlying idea stays the same: set the playback rate on the active video.
Limits, reliability, and what to expect
No workaround like this is guaranteed to keep working. YouTube frequently adjusts ad delivery and playback behavior, and changes can break methods that rely on predictable player behavior.
Users have also noted inconsistent results:
- Some setups work for mid-roll ads but not always for the first pre-roll ad.
- Some speed-control extensions may trigger detection in certain scenarios.
- Extremely high speeds can cause glitches, audio artifacts, or the player to behave unpredictably.
Practical advice before you try it
If the goal is fewer interruptions, the most stable option remains YouTube’s own paid tier. If the goal is less wasted time while staying within the normal viewing flow, a speed adjustment can be a low-effort experiment on desktop—just treat it as temporary and subject to change.