How to Block Twitch Ads
Are you sick of advertisements on Twitch before, during, or after you watch a stream? There are a few ways to block them. Here’s how.
If you’re in the mood to watch some epic gameplay or kick back and chat with friends, Twitch might be the place to do it. Twitch is one of the best-known streaming platforms, competing with YouTube for the attention of millions of keen subscribers.
There’s one big problem with Twitch, however, and that’s advertisements. Without subscriptions, you’ll probably see a Twitch ad every time you load a stream. You might see additional ads appear mid-way through a stream, which can be irritating to deal with.
What happens if you want to block Twitch ads? There are a few methods you can try, from subscriptions to ad blockers. We’ll explain how to block Twitch ads below.
Using Twitch Subscriptions
The easiest way to block Twitch advertisements while you’re watching a stream is to use Twitch subscriptions. Subscriptions on Twitch allow you to show your support for streamers you like. One of the biggest benefits (alongside additional emojis and other stream-specific benefits) is the ability to avoid advertisements on that stream.
You’ll need to pay for a Twitch sub, with three tiers of subscription ranging from $4.99 to $24.99 (in the United States). If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you’ll be able to subscribe to one Twitch streamer for free every month.
If you want to subscribe to a Twitch streamer:
- Open the Twitch website or app and sign in.
- Find and view the profile of a Twitch streamer you want to subscribe to.
- On the user’s profile, press the Subscribe button.
- If the option to subscribe using a free Amazon Prime benefit, press the Subscribe with Prime button. Otherwise, press the Subscribe button to activate the subscription at the lowest tier (tier one).
- If you want to subscribe to a higher tier instead, press the Subscribe at Tier 2 or Subscribe at Tier 3 buttons.
- Follow any additional on-screen instructions. For example, you may need to authorize the payment using your payment provider.
How to Block Twitch Ads Using Twitch Turbo
The problem with Twitch subscriptions is the cost. If you watch a lot of Twitch streamers, you’ll need to subscribe to each Twitch streamer to avoid ads. While this is a great way to support these streamers, it isn’t the most cost-effective way to block ads.
Instead, you can subscribe to Twitch Turbo. This Twitch feature isn’t well known or particularly well advertised, but it’s specifically designed to block advertisements on Twitch. Witch Twitch Turbo, you won’t see ads before, during, or after any Twitch stream. Additional benefits include extra emojis, a special chat badge, custom chat colors, and more.
To subscribe to Twitch Turbo:
- Open the Twitch page for Twitch Turbo. If you aren’t already, sign in to Twitch at this point.
- On the Twitch Turbo page, press the Subscribe button at the bottom.
- Choose your payment method and complete the payment information, as required.
- When you’re ready, press Pay Now or Review Purchase (depending on the payment method) to complete the purchase.
Your Twitch Turbo subscription will activate immediately and will apply to all Twitch platforms you use with your account.
Canceling Twitch Turbo
If you want to cancel Twitch Turbo at any point, open the Twitch subscriptions menu.
In the Other Subscriptions section, press the settings icon next to Twitch Turbo. Select Don’t Renew Subscription from the pop-up menu to stop your subscription.
Your Twitch Turbo subscription will remain active until your next billing date.
Using Twitchls
If you can’t afford a Twitch sub, there’s another method you can try. Twitch doesn’t roll advertisements using embedded videos or streams. An open-source tool called Twitchls has been created to take advantage of this, allowing you to watch Twitch streams in your web browser without the ads.
To use Twitchls, simply replace the Twitch URL for a streamer you like (eg. twitch.tv/ninja) with the Twitchls URL (eg. twitchls.com/ninja).
The stream will load in your browser, allowing you to view it without advertisements. You can also use the Twitchls website to search for active streams in your category or game of interest.
Can You Use Ad Blockers to Block Twitch Ads?
Ad blocking tools like uBlock Origin and AdBlock have a chequered history when it comes to blocking Twitch ads. Unfortunately, advertisement revenue keeps the Twitch platform alive (even with Amazon’s huge financial backing behind it).
That means that a huge amount of resources are used to keep Twitch ads alive, even when you’re using ad-blocking tools.
AdBlock can’t block Twitch ads
For this reason, we can’t recommend using an ad blocker to block Twitch ads. For the most part, they simply don’t work, and there doesn’t seem to be a way around this at the moment.
You may have some luck with a VPN or DNS solution that blocks advertisements using different methods. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that this solution will work, but it’s worth a try.
Customizing Your Twitch Setup
Using the steps above, you can quickly block ads on Twitch using a variety of methods. The best ways to do it are to use Twitch subs or the Twitch Turbo subscription to legitimately block ads.
Unfortunately, Amazon will often try to stop ad blocking tools from blocking Twitch ads. If you decide to use an ad blocker, you may need to customize it regularly to continue to block ads (if it works at all). Alternatively, use the Twitchls website to view ad-free embedded streams instead.
Are you new to Twitch? You might want to try out some of its fun features, such as clipping Twitch streamers. You can also watch Twitch on a variety of platforms, including game consoles and Roku streaming devices.
Want to customize your Twitch profile? You can switch things up by changing your Twitch username at any point.
