Imagine this: you settle on your couch with a big bowl of popcorn, ready to watch your favorite YouTube channel.
You hit play, excited to dive into the latest video, only to be bombarded with an ad for a product you have no interest in.
Frustrating, right? But what if there was a way to enjoy YouTube content without those pesky ads interrupting your viewing experience?
Well, that’s where Invidious comes in.
Invidious is an open source frontend for YouTube that allows you to watch any public video on YouTube without advertisements or tracking.
Yes, you read that right. Whether you’re binge-watching your favorite creators or catching up on the latest viral videos, Invidious ensures a seamless viewing experience free from interruptions.
However, as with any great solution, there are always challenges. Google, the owner of YouTube, has recently sent a cease and desist notice to the Invidious project team, claiming that the service violates YouTube’s API Services terms of service and developer policies.
Despite this, the project team is refusing to comply with Google’s demands unless legally forced to do so.
In this article, we’ll do a thorough review of Invidious. We will talk about various aspects of Invidious, how does it work, alternatives, Google’s cease and desist notice, the future of Invidious and more.
Stay tuned.
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Key Takeaways
- Invidious is an open source frontend for YouTube that allows users to watch YouTube videos without advertisements or tracking.
- Google has sent a cease and desist notice to the Invidious project team, claiming that the service violates YouTube’s terms of service and policies.
- Alternative options to enjoy ad-free YouTube content include using content blockers, YouTube Premium, or other third-party frontends such as Invidious.
- The future of Invidious is uncertain, as Google could potentially take legal action or use its influence to shut down the service.
- Users have the choice of using Invidious or exploring other options to watch YouTube content without ads.
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How does Invidious Work?
Invidious is a privacy-respecting YouTube client that serves as an alternative to the traditional YouTube platform. It allows users to watch YouTube videos without being tracked by Google.
Invidious works by fetching YouTube videos and related data from YouTube servers, then presenting them to users without the need for Google tracking.
Users can access Invidious through various instances, including self-hosted instances, which offer increased privacy and control over the viewing experience.
Despite some issues like memory leaks that may require periodic restarts, Invidious has gained popularity for its focus on privacy, reliability, and the ability to watch YouTube content without intrusive ads.
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How to Use Invidious?
To use Invidious, you can access it through various instances available online, such as invidious.io.
Once you’re on the Invidious website, you can search for videos, view and manage playlists, and subscribe to channels without needing a YouTube account.
You can also adjust settings, such as switching to dark mode, by clicking the gear icon at the top right of the page. If you want to use Invidious on your Synology NAS, you can install it using Docker and Portainer.
First, you need to install Portainer using a step-by-step guide. Then, make sure you have a synology.me Wildcard Certificate.
After that, go to the Control Panel, Login Portal, Advanced Tab, and click Reverse Proxy. Create a new reverse proxy with the following settings:
- Reverse Proxy Name: Invidious
- Source: Protocol: HTTPS, Hostname: invidious.yourname.synology.me, Port: 443
- Destination: Protocol: HTTP, Hostname: localhost, Port: 7601
Finally, you can download the Invidious extension for Firefox, which will automatically redirect all your YouTube links to invidious.site.
This extension is open-source and allows you to de-google your online presence by using a free and open-source alternative to YouTube.
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What are the Key Features of Invidious?
Invidious provides a privacy-focused, ad-free, and open-source platform offering several benefits.
Read on for the full feature-list.
- Self-Hosted Instances: Users can access Invidious through self-hosted instances, offering increased privacy and control over the viewing experience.
- Privacy Emphasis: Invidious prioritizes user privacy by allowing access to YouTube videos without passing data directly through Google’s services.
- No Tracking or Ads: Invidious is designed to be free of ads, subscriptions, tracking, and data collection, ensuring a safe and private viewing experience.
- Open-Source: Invidious is an open-source platform, allowing users to watch videos without being tracked while maintaining transparency and security.
- Modern Design: The platform features a clean, minimal, and modern design, built with the latest technology like WebAssembly and WebPack for speed and safety.
- WebRTC Support: Invidious is the first video player to support WebRTC, enhancing the user experience with real-time communication capabilities.
- Playlist Creation: Users can create playlists and watch videos without being tracked, enhancing the personalized viewing experience.
- Integrated News Feed and Library: Invidious offers an integrated news feed, a library, and a personal library for users to explore and organize content.
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Are there Any Cons of Using Invidious?
Despite being a popular service, there are several cons associated with Invidious. Here are some of its weaknesses.
- Performance Issues: Users have reported issues with video loading times, buffering, and audio syncing, making the platform difficult to use.
- Lack of Instance Migration: Users cannot migrate their accounts between instances, making it difficult to switch to a different instance if the current one is not working well.
- Limited Compatibility: Invidious may not work well with all browsers or operating systems, requiring users to find specific combinations that work for them.
- Limited Control Over Content: Invidious is a stop-gap solution that does not offer full control over content, as the owners of the content have the final say in its availability.
- Limited Availability: Invidious may not be available on all devices, such as mobile phones, making it less accessible to some users.
- Limited Features: Invidious may not offer all the features of the original platform, such as comments or likes, which may be a drawback for some users.
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Is Invidious legit?
Invidious is a legitimate open-source alternative frontend to YouTube that prioritizes user privacy and offers several features.
It is available as a Docker container or from the GitHub master branch. Invidious is intended to be used as a lightweight and “privacy-respecting” alternative to the official YouTube website, and it does not use the official YouTube API but scrapes the website for video and metadata such as likes and views.
This is done intentionally to decrease the amount of data shared with Google. Invidious is used by many privacy preserving redirecting software as well as YouTube clients.
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The Appeal of Invidious & Alternatives
Invidious has gained popularity among users who are looking for ways to access YouTube content without being constantly interrupted by advertisements and subjected to tracking.
The appeal lies in the ability to watch videos without the pesky interruptions of ads, giving users a seamless video streaming experience.
However, Invidious is not the only option available for those seeking an ad-free YouTube experience.
One alternative to consider is YouTube Premium. As a legitimate offering from YouTube itself, YouTube Premium provides an ad-free experience along with additional features such as offline viewing and background play.
However, it comes at a cost, which may be a deterrent for some users.
Another option for users looking to bypass ads while watching YouTube videos is to utilize content blockers.
These browser extensions and apps effectively block ads on websites, including YouTube, giving users an uninterrupted viewing experience without the need for a separate subscription or service.
In addition to content blockers, there are third-party frontends that provide users with an ad-free YouTube experience.
Some popular examples include Invidious, Newpipe, Skytube, and YouTube Vanced. These platforms offer features similar to YouTube but without the annoyance of ads.
Users can enjoy their favorite videos without interruptions, while still having access to the vast library of content available on YouTube.
Google’s Cease & Desist Notice to Invidious
Google, as the operator of YouTube, heavily relies on the revenue generated from display advertising and YouTube Premium subscriptions.
This has become a cause for concern when it comes to Invidious, a platform that offers users a way to access YouTube content without advertisements.
As a result, Google has delivered a cease and desist notice to Invidious, claiming that the service violates their API Services terms of service and developer policies.
In response to the cease and desist notice, Invidious argues that it is not bound by YouTube’s terms since it does not use their official APIs. Therefore, the project team believes they are not in violation of Google’s demands.
As the situation unfolds, the Invidious project team anticipates that Google may escalate the issue by reaching out to GitHub, the project hosting service, in an attempt to shut down the Invidious repository.
This indicates that Google is taking the matter seriously and is committed to safeguarding its interests.
It remains uncertain how Invidious will respond to Google’s cease and desist notice, but the stakes are high for both parties involved.
While Invidious maintains that their open-source nature and non-compliance with YouTube’s terms offer some legal protection, there is a possibility that Google could take legal action or target individual members of the project team.
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Future of Invidious & User Choices
Invidious is aware of the potential ramifications of not complying with Google’s demands.
There is a future of Invidious that hangs in the balance, as Google possess the power to take legal action or target individual members of the project team.
However, Invidious has made it clear that they will not take any action unless legally forced to do so. They believe that being an open-source project and their decision to not agree to YouTube’s terms offer some protection.
Nonetheless, the future of Invidious remains uncertain. Google, with its immense influence, could find alternative means to shut down the service.
The project team is prepared for this possibility. In the face of uncertainty, users are left with choices. They can continue using platforms like Invidious, embracing the freedom it provides in accessing YouTube content without ads, or they can explore other options.
When it comes to user choices, alternatives include turning to content blockers to enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience.
These tools allow users to selectively filter out unwanted ads without compromising their viewing experience.
Another option is to opt for YouTube Premium as we discussed just now, YouTube’s legitimate alternative that offers an ad-free experience with additional perks like offline playback and background play.
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Conclusion
Invidious offers a compelling solution for users who want to enjoy YouTube content without the interruption of ads and tracking.
By providing an open source frontend for YouTube, Invidious allows users to watch any public video on YouTube without advertisements or tracking.
This has attracted a dedicated user base looking for an ad-free YouTube experience.
However, with Google raising concerns about Invidious violating their API Services terms of service and developer policies, the future of Invidious remains uncertain.
Google could potentially take legal action or use its influence to shut down the service through other means.
That said, for now, Invidious users can continue to enjoy their favorite YouTube videos without interruptions. Hoping for an amicable solution between the two parties is all they can do at the moment.
Daniel is an ecommerce expert specializing in the print-on-demand and dropshipping industry. With a background in software development, he has successfully turned his tech-savvy insights into a thriving 6-figure dropshipping business. He is a contributing writer for numerous top-tier tech & ecommerce blogs.