• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, August 14, 2023

YouTube has begun testing an anti-ad-blocker popup featuring a timer that warns when the next advertisement will play.

After a Reddit user shared a screenshot of the warning, several users confirmed seeing the timed warning.

The move suggests YouTube is testing the timer with a limited number of accounts.

The countdown clock reportedly runs for 30 to 60 seconds. It appears in the top right-hand corner of the message, showing non-paying viewers how long they have left to take action before another ad starts.

Viewers can then choose to either “Allow YouTube Ads” or “Try YouTube Premium.” Choosing YouTube Premium allows viewers to go ad-free, but creators still get paid from the subscription.

One Reddit user, Dehnus, wouldn’t mind paying for watching YouTube videos if the money went directly to the creators.

The number of views “is not a good metric," and is a way to boost each other "to again game the system,” Dehnus wrote. “With Google's tracking algorithms for ads, they should be perfectly able to just send the money to the people a user actually watches.”

YouTube, Apple, Microsoft, and others have moved toward subscription models to augment revenue.

Apple, for example, gives customers the option to pay for AppleCare monthly to insure products.

YouTube in June began limiting viewers to three videos when it detected an ad blocker, and then it allowed users to allow ads or try YouTube Premium.

Now YouTube has aggressively increased efforts to persuade non-paying viewers to sign up for its Premium service, which bans ads, allowing viewers to watch videos without interruption.