The YouTube app for Android and iOS is currently suffering from an irritating bug that doesn’t seem to be new. The bug places ads over YouTube videos that can’t be dismissed.
Reports online are beginning to surface of a YouTube bug affecting mobile devices (via PiunikaWeb). The issue is happening on Android and iOS while users are watching fullscreen videos. According to those reports, corner ads are appearing during videos, and they can’t be dismissed.
There appear to be several reports of the issue from users on Reddit, but they express the same frustrations. The bug doesn’t seem to affect skippable ads prior to the YouTube video. Rather, it’s the corner ads that are cemented into place. Some examples include app ads or website redirects. In either case, the ads can’t be removed or hidden.
The option to dismiss the ads is there, but it doesn’t work. The ads disappear after around 30 seconds, according to user reports. If there were no option, we’d be inclined to think YouTube is testing a new ad format that displays persistent blocks in view throughout the video. That’d likely cause serious backlash – more than the bug itself.
There are previous reports of this specific YouTube ad bug as well. Some date back to January 2026, while others come from late 2025.
In either case, the issue doesn’t seem to be fixed by recent app updates. On top of that, it appears the bug surfaces every now and then for users. Some users note that opening the video in a web browser “fixes” the problem, but that isn’t ideal for anyone.
YouTube hasn’t confirmed whether this bug is getting any attention. Until then, users will have to live with the 30-second corner ad in their videos.
More on YouTube:
- YouTube test lets AI create a new video using someone else’s Shorts
- YouTube finally gave you a proper alternative to ad-blockers, and now it’s time to pay
- YouTube Premium Lite adds background play and downloads
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