# Anyone having luck using YouTube clients with a VPN? **URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/anyone-having-luck-using-youtube-clients-with-a-vpn/35056 **Category:** Questions **Created:** 2026-01-30T00:47:50Z **Posts:** 33 ## Post 1 by @TheDoc — 2026-01-30T00:47:50Z The last few days on FreeTube and NewPipe I’ve been completely blocked from watching videos while connected to Mullvad. I’m wondering if anyone is having luck with a particular provider or even particular Mullvad servers? --- ## Post 2 by @xe3 — 2026-01-30T02:24:31Z I haven’t been having any issues on my end. I’ve had issues with Freetube in the past, but its been at least a few months since that, and it didn’t seem related to using a VPN. I don’t currently use Mullvad, but I do use a VPN 100% of the time. I’m guessing you’ve already tried various Mullvad servers in at least a few different geographic regions? Is the block only when you are using frontends, or are you blocked even when you try to access youtube directly through a browser? --- ## Post 3 by @privacy.slouchy — 2026-01-30T02:27:38Z Is it working without a VPN? I saw YouTube pushed out [a new adblock update](https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/articles/youtubes-annoying-content-unavailable-error-193933631.html) that broke a lot of the alternative frontends this week, NewPipe [released a fix](https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/releases/tag/v0.28.2) yesterday --- ## Post 4 by @anon65963525 — 2026-01-30T03:15:10Z Yes, Youtube stopped working with Mullvad VPN (asks for an account) but works if VPN is disconnected. --- ## Post 5 by @anonymous544 — 2026-01-30T03:51:10Z I would never give YouTube my actual IP, at least not on the official website/app. Once they have that, they can correlate my watch history with me through fingerprinting. This is probably fine if you use a frontend/client tho. How I bypass this is just by changing VPN servers. I pay for Proton VPN, so I change to a paid secure core server. --- ## Post 6 by @IsItJustMe — 2026-01-30T03:51:44Z So far how I get around this on the frontbend apps is, If the video won’t play I back out of the video to the search results, change locations in my VPN and try the video again. Most times it works out with one or two tries. --- ## Post 7 by @SwampTrainer — 2026-01-30T06:24:02Z Try changing your VPN location - that’s the purpose of having a VPN, to be able to change IP easily and at will. There’s also the new ad blocker change from YT, so it’ll require some trial and error. --- ## Post 8 by @anon80329175 — 2026-01-30T06:26:45Z I use Mullvad, connect to a super popular city like NYC, and use uBO and Sponsorblock. I’ve never seen one ad. And CAPTCHAS occur but I’ve noticed the 80x series of NYC servers in Mullvad never give me any issues. For example: 805, 803, etc. You’ll need to experiment. Or connect to Albania. YT ads there are outlawed I believe so there is no reason for YT to block any VPN IPs from there. --- ## Post 9 by @SYST3M_D3STR0YER — 2026-01-30T06:45:12Z I couldn‘t resist… ![image](https://forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/3X/6/3/638f9a4c1eee74d321f5b5e2e67dc431f7c8ae69.jpeg) --- ## Post 10 by @useduser — 2026-01-30T07:50:41Z I use FreeTube over Proton VPN. It’s getting blocked when I use a US VPN server, but it still works if I use an Icelandic VPN server. --- ## Post 12 by @anon9627702 — 2026-01-30T10:16:39Z Invidious has been “working” as usual. Mullvad + Mullvad VPN occasionally blocks me. The trick is to _switch VPN locations_. Ensure you have ‘Killswitch’ and ‘Lockdown Mode’ enabled before you do. --- ## Post 13 by @va3890hd — 2026-01-30T10:31:56Z I normally cycle through 4 different Mullvad IPs, and yeah all 4 of them have been banned from YouTube about a week ago. (I get a “Please sign in to confirm you’re not a bot” error). So I tried a bunch of other Mullvad servers that I don’t regularly use, and found a few that work (for now at least). I’d say just keep trying different locations. --- ## Post 14 by @Scott — 2026-01-30T10:43:12Z I’m using Toronto servers at the moment on Mullvad and it’s working. Freetube on Fedora Work Station. PipePipe on GrapheneOS. I was using Protonvpn a couple of weeks ago and I had a lot more blocks, about a dozen per day. I get few blocks on Mullvad, maybe 1-3 per week. --- ## Post 15 by @ty89 — 2026-01-30T11:05:04Z Try different [Mullvad’s SOCKS5 proxies](https://mullvad.net/en/help/different-entryexit-node-using-wireguard-and-socks5-proxy) with FreeTube. I’ve had luck with some M247 servers. Controversial provider for VPN servers (too popular, thus having access to a very big share of global VPN traffic), however it is less of an issue when using as an additional hop just for FreeTube. NewPipe has a pull request to add proxy support but it’s not there yet. --- ## Post 16 by @anon52807678 — 2026-01-30T15:34:37Z Lately I can’t even use NewPipe without a VPN. Now even moderate surfing from residential IPs triggers bot notices very quickly. Google really contributed to my touching more grass. --- ## Post 17 by @anonymous549 — 2026-01-30T15:43:04Z Haven’t had any issues with Youtube while using my VPN (Proton on 100% of the time). I don’t typically use Mullvad Browser for YouTube and, the majority of the time I watch content using [Grayjay’s desktop application](https://grayjay.app/desktop/). --- ## Post 18 by @SYST3M_D3STR0YER — 2026-01-30T15:47:26Z What about ReVanced? I don‘t know this, but since they patch the original YouTube app, shouldn‘t the ad blocking work more reliable? --- ## Post 19 by @ty89 — 2026-01-30T16:37:26Z Update to 0.28.2 if you haven’t yet. NewPipe had a problem recently, fixed now. --- ## Post 20 by @anon52807678 — 2026-01-30T17:10:23Z I’m not talking about the “Content unavailable” error from the past week. This has indeed been addressed in 0.28.2. --- ## Post 21 by @PurpleDime — 2026-01-30T17:17:09Z Yup! That’s how I discovered that these amazing FOSS tools are not consistently reliable. Especially when you use a VPN and want to watch videos without an account linked to it. I hope they find a permanent way around it, but I suspect it’s going to stay a game of whack-a-mole. That being said, just today I stumbled upon this video on Twitter: > I had no idea that **Brave mobile could easily play YouTube videos with no account, no ads, no issues whatsoever, regardless so if you use a VPN or not.** I just tried it and it works! I don’t have the YouTube app on my phone, nor any modded versions of it. So finding out that I can watch videos on Brave anonymously is great. Especially, since NewPipe hasn’t worked in a minute. I assume this hack also works on desktop so it’s good to know. On my desktop computer, I am logged into my YouTube account on Brave, but it’s good to know that I can watch videos in private mode with no account. --- ## Post 22 by @TheDoc — 2026-01-30T18:05:46Z I’m late to reply to @xe3 and @privacy.slouchy but yes it works without a VPN. On YouTube clients and sometimes one browsers when signed out, YouTube completely prevents Mullvad users from loading the video. --- ## Post 23 by @TheDoc — 2026-01-30T18:08:18Z Unfortunately there’s no way to create local playlists (except temporary ones on Brave iOS?) or follow channels while signed out in browsers which was the main reason I used YouTube clients. Even so, when signed out I still get completely blocked on desktop browsers. Mobile is probably next. --- ## Post 24 by @anon52807678 — 2026-01-30T18:16:42Z > [@PurpleDime](#): > > I had no idea that **Brave mobile could easily play YouTube videos with no account, no ads, no issues whatsoever, regardless so if you use a VPN or not.** I just tried it and it works! It’s just luck. YouTube blocks it on mobile Brave just as it does on desktop Brave. --- ## Post 25 by @user1 — 2026-01-30T18:19:42Z I got tired some time ago of constantly changing vpn locations only to watch youtube, now I use Freetube on split tunneling. I guess that’s a privacy concession. --- ## Post 26 by @carbonated — 2026-01-30T18:40:27Z @user1 you could use the socks5 proxy @ty89 mentiomed above, if you use Mullvad @moonwriting I know from experience that there are more servers but imho would advise against posting such lists as they become easily blockable --- ## Post 27 by @anon40723879 — 2026-01-30T21:13:26Z No problems recently with Mullvad VPN and Invidious Any problems usually resolved by changing Instance or Backend ( rather than VPN location ) I want to thank YouTube content creators who ( generally ) give their work to that platform for free with the ( generally ) intention of sharing their knowledge with others. I want to thank developers of frontends like Invidious who allow us to watch these videos without selling our souls to a heavily gated monopoly ( as per SYST3M\_D3STROYER cartoon ) If I can’t always access what I want immediately I generally realize it wasn’t that important … do I really need to watch ‘ how to make a lifesize replica of the Titanic out of pasta ‘ right now …. Have a good day everybody --- ## Post 28 by @PurpleDime — 2026-01-30T22:12:47Z > [@anon52807678](#): > > It’s just luck. YouTube blocks it on mobile Brave just as it does on desktop Brave. I should have known. I just happen to discover this today, and for some reason I never made the connection that it could be the exact same situation that people experience with FreeTube and NewPipe. That sucks. --- ## Post 29 by @xe3 — 2026-01-31T00:11:38Z > [@TheDoc](#): > > I’m late to reply to @xe3 and @privacy.slouchy but yes it works without a VPN. On YouTube clients and sometimes one browsers when signed out, YouTube completely prevents Mullvad users from loading the video. It would surprise me if they are targeting Mullvad specifically, and it would surprise me if Google wasn’t capable of recognizing VPN IP addresses from all major providers. I’m wondering if the reason you (and others) are experiencing issues, and I (and others) are not, is because of A/B testing / slow staged rollout. My recollection is that when Google rolls out these intentionally anti-user changes they usually do not do it all at once for all users across all OSes and browsers, etc. @TheDoc have you tried changing the backend settings (switching from the local API to Invidious (or vice versa). When I’ve experienced problems with freetube that sometimes can alleviate the problem. --- ## Post 30 by @TheDoc — 2026-01-31T02:16:09Z I could try, though I usually watch YouTube through NewPipe so I don’t have many opportunities to test with FreeTube. --- ## Post 31 by @J0shXe — 2026-01-31T14:16:18Z LOL so true --- ## Post 33 by @Oneorfun — 2026-01-31T22:58:48Z Newpipe mostly works, rarely have to fall back to pipepipe. Today first time both failed at specific video, switching location in mullvad once fixed it.