Not sure if this still works but, the YouTube version I had, mobile YouTube vanced, there’s a loophole to bypass the “premium 2x speed”. It basically getting to video settings as quickly as possible.
These steps work on the YouTube vanced app on android. I don’t know what versions you’re on so it may not work.
When you open a video immediately open the video settings then click your playback settings, then select the 2x speed. On android, YouTube video buffer briefly before loading up at the very beginning, and if you successfully manage to click the playback settings it should load the old YouTube playback settings where the it listed the different speed in a column. If not, as in you were too slow to open the video settings, you can always try again. You just have to close the video and open it again using YouTube history, and again try getting to the video playback settings asap.
$ yt-dlp <URL>
I am not one for fear the terminal, but do people actually use this to browse YT? What does this workflow look like? Searching video URLs, manually copying them into this cli, and then opening the downloaded file?
Use FreeTube and Tubular lmao
I can barely follow and absorb anything at 1.5-2x.
Beyond that, more power to you.
Yeah, this change has no practical effect on me. But removing and paywalling features is concerning nonetheless.
What do you watch on that speed? Genuine question, not saying it’s not a shitty arbitrary restriction
In this case, it was this video
I don’t usually speed it up that much bun in this case, I wanted a ‘time lapse’ stile skim of the video
Not OP but informational podcast/interview type videos that are heavy on talking and long I watch at 2.25x with subtitles on.
Interesting, I do 1.5x for certain podcasts and tabletop like Critical Role, but even at that speed I miss things and lose comprehension (although I am usually multitasking as well)
Makes sense, in other contexts I’d watch at lower speeds (I watch starcraft games sometimes at 1.25x), but for me this is kind of like the video equivalent of skimming an article, actively reading and listening at the same time and not multitasking. I also manually skip around to get to relevant information faster.

via this comment from @Imnecomrade@lemmygrad.ml
Been like this for awhile now.
For android use revanced or morphe
For browser use firefox and video speed controller
$(‘video’).playbackRate = 3;
I am at the point where you tube is now a rare choice. I am tired of the stupid games and adblock and trying to not log in.
Fuck it, I can do without.
It was never a free feature; they used to only allow up to 2X speed. Not that that justifies it at all of course.
laughs in NewPipe
Laughs in Grayjay
For people on „ios“ Unwatched app is good
Screw anyone who supports their little walled Apple garden if controlby owning their products.
Last I heard grayjay made the choice not to include sponsorblock
sponsorblock is included alongside a comment that you should support creators
Download it and play it however you want in VLC.
Lol nope, out of principle I will never pay for this even if I didn’t already hate Google.
It feels so condescending to the user, so unconcerned with their agency that I could never bring myself to support this choice with even a tiny amount of money.
100% agree. The problem is that there are more and more features that get tugged behind the subscription paywall
Same here. I’m sick of seeing people say stuff like “just pay for Premium bro”. Stfu. That’s like paying the mafia for “protection” from them. YouTube created these problems and now I have to pay them to fix it? Fuck no.
You can use
yt-dlpto download it and play it in whatever movie player you want that supports variable speeds, unless and until YouTube cracks down on downloading.I use jdownloader2. I think it uses yt-dl on the backend though? Like the original yt-dl. I’m not sure.
I was curious so I downloaded the Mac version of yt-dlp (as I am on Mac), couldn’t get it to run. And I’m comfortable with the command line.
YouTube kinda is cracking down on downloading though. If a video is marked as adult (you need to sign in to view it), it can’t be downloaded. A lot of “official videos” (like trailers from the studio) can’t be downloaded. Subtitles can’t be downloaded. That’s in jd2. Not sure about yt-dlp.
I think it uses yt-dl on the backend though? Like the original yt-dl.
You’re probably thinking of
youtube-dl. I’d guess that it most-likely used that at one point, but probably switched toyt-dlpwhen YouTube started throttling single-stream downloads.
I highly recommend the extension “Enhancer for YouTube” by Max RF, it adds a shit Tom of qol features











