YouTube may soon show you ads when you pause a video

YouTube is reportedly rolling out pause ads to users and advertisers. Last year, the video streaming giant first announced its plans to show these ads that appear when a video is paused. Many netizens have reported seeing these ads and have expressed their concerns about the move. These appear as a pop-up ad and can be a static image or a short, looping video. YouTube has reportedly gone ahead with its plans to roll out these ads after seeing a strong response from advertisers and users.

YouTube reportedly rolling out pause ads on a large scale

Pause ads, or ads that appear when a video is paused, are becoming increasingly noticeable to users. Many have taken to social media platforms such as Reddit And Twitter to post about the new developments on the video streaming platform.

These ads are separate from the ads that YouTube normally shows at the beginning and between videos. They appear when a user pauses a video. And unlike a full video ad, these are pop-up ads that only take up a portion of the screen. Based on examples that Gadgets 360 staffers have seen on social media, these ads appear on the right side of the video interface on the web and above the comments section in the mobile app.

Also, unlike the platform’s non-skippable ads, which were introduced in 2023, these ads can be dismissed by tapping the “X” icon that appears at the top right of the ads. However, the sudden appearance of these ads is no coincidence.

YouTube Communications Manager Oluwa Falodun told The Verge reports that the company made the decision to roll out pause ads widely after noticing “a strong response from both advertisers and viewers.”

The company reportedly said that the pause ads are designed to provide users with a “less interruptive” experience. However, the company did not say whether regular ads will appear less frequently after the implementation of these pop-up ads.

While the move to show pause ads doesn’t seem to be popular among users, it’s not the first streaming platform to implement this. Many over-the-top platforms like Disney+ Hotstar, JioCinema, and Zee5 show ads on the pause screen on the free tier and cheaper subscription levels.