Description of the issue: Youtube Videos refuse to load
How can this issue be reproduced?
Play a YT video with shields up
Expected result:
Brave Version( check About Brave):1.82.1(174)
Mobile Device details: IOS 18, 9th gen IPad
Additional Information: Seeing the Debug info for why it’s blocked, it says Content Blocker when Youtube tries to run the (i assume script?) to play the video, so some way to block ads now blocks the YouTube player or Youtube updated and now it classed itself as something Brave blocks. Either way, cool browser no worky work, legos around the world are sad
Doesn’t work on private tab, works with shields down—90% sure it’s brave’s adblock blocking the video by mistake, and have not made any changes. It started 3-4 days ago and i was waiting for it to stop or get fixed but it hasn’t, and i’ve tried it with Standard as well
iPad with ios 18.7.1 on dekstop mode and shields up, Youtube videos only buffering (black sreen). Brave version is 1.81.1 (174). Have been doing so over three days.
Brave with iPhone is working just fine. So in Windows 10 and 11, they are working 100%.
@jxb thanks for the follow-up, but it looks like you didn’t answer all of my earlier questions. I’m also still waiting to hear from @Legoz to fill in some of the missing details.
From what I’ve seen in other discussions, this issue might be tied to Shields, though no one seems to have pinned it down to a specific content filter or setting yet. Please check whether playback improves when Shields are off. If it does, the next steps would be:
Make sure Block Scripts is not enabled.
Test whether switching Trackers & ads blocking between Standard and Aggressive makes any difference.
If you’ve enabled any content filters in Settings → Shields → Content filtering, disable them temporarily and see if that changes anything.
If you haven’t changed any filters, try enabling Fanboy’s Annoyances and uBO Annoyances, and if that doesn’t help, enable Brave Experimental Adblock Rules as well.
Also, when you said it happens “on desktop mode,” are you confirming that the issue only occurs when the site is loaded in desktop mode and not in the regular mobile view?
No difference between Standard or Aggressive mode.
Tried different Content Filtering, no difference. Tried private browser mode, no difference.
The issue is in desktop mode, not in mobile mode. Also short videos work as they should, issue is playing normal lenght YouTube videos. Also turning shields off works, but what is the point of that?
The issues started the very same second, after Brave for Ipad was updated three days ago from the official App Store. Before that everything worked just fine for years.
After playing around with it a bit, mobile works but sometimes will load slow, and even with doing everything you’ve said and different variations of it, it still doesn’t help. I’ve edited the initial post to try and answer the questions so ppl don’t have to dig through messages to find the stuff.
So to reiterate/lay it out, shields(standard & agressive) blocks the video, and you have to refresh to make it work. Shields disabled will let it play, and sometimes an ad will play or will get blocked while it tries to load. This is on desktop. On mobile, it works- i’ve had the page sometimes not load but a refresh fixes it for a while
Edit: Adding to Jxb’s, i tried shorts once but it wouldn’t load without a similar refresh—it could’ve been a separate thing but their thing on shorts reminded me of it
So it sounds like you’re both confirming this happens only when viewing the desktop site on iPad. I know Fanboynz and others from Brave have been investigating the issue.
By the way, which version of iOS are you on, iOS 26, iOS 18, or something else?
It might be best to follow up in the topic linked below, since that’s where Brave team members are already focused:
Since you’ve mentioned that enabling or disabling content filters, changing settings, or using a private window makes no difference, it seems there isn’t much users can adjust on their end right now.
The only possible workaround I can suggest is to switch to the mobile version of the site instead of the desktop one. On iPhone (and likely on iPad too), you can do this from the three-dot menu. You’ll see an option labeled Request Desktop Site or Request Mobile Site.
If it says Request Mobile Site, that means you’re currently viewing the desktop version. Try selecting Request Mobile Site and see if YouTube works normally there. If it does, that would confirm the issue is limited to desktop mode, and using the mobile version of the site would be a good temporary solution.
Could try this in custom filters on your iPhone/iPad. I’m testing it out now but seems to be working for me on iPad & iPhone in desktop mode. Not seeing ads or buffering anymore (please report back if you are).
That worked fine! How come that the maximum quality watching on my iPad now is 720p? Not sure when this started but I think it was at the same time as the issue above. Previously I have been able to watch it in 2048p (and it actually defaulted to it, quite annoying) on my iPad. I know there is a limitation using airplay with 360p unless you are a premium subscriber, but now it seems to be 720p as the highest quality even without airplaying the video?
All good now! I hope it is included in future updates, so that everything works out of the box.