Description of the issue:
Since updating to Brave 1.95.101 (Chromium 153), YouTube videos enter an infinite reload/spinner loop and never start. Toggling Shields OFF for youtube.com makes playback start instantly. Chrome and Safari on the same machine play the same videos normally, and the network path is unaffected. The problem began right after the 1.95.101 update auto-installed (Sep 15, 2026).
Steps to Reproduce (add as many as necessary):
- Update Brave to 1.95.101 on macOS (arm64).
- Leave Shields at default (ON).
- Open any YouTube watch page and press play.
Actual Result (gifs and screenshots are welcome!):
Player stays in a loading loop (spinner / page reload), video never starts. Reproduces every time with Shields ON.
Expected result:
Video plays immediately.
Reproduces how often:
Always with Shields ON for youtube.com. Never with Shields OFF.
Operating System and Brave Version (See the About Brave page in the main menu):
macOS 27.0 (arm64, Build 26A428)
Brave 1.95.101, Chromium 153.0.8010.37
Additional Information:
Third-party extensions (AdBlock Pro, uBlock Origin Lite) are installed but are not required to trigger the bug - Shields alone is the trigger. Same symptom previously reported on 1.91.180 (topic 654845) and 1.93.129 (topic 656454); appears to resurface on the new Chromium 153 base, likely an ad-block filter rule interaction with the updated player.