If you pay for YouTube Premium and still see ads, it's usually one of three things: you're not signed in to the account that pays (an incognito window, a TV or another app's built-in browser), you're somewhere Premium isn't available, or you have Premium Lite or YouTube Music Premium rather than full Premium. Some promotions aren't covered by Premium at all, including creator plugs, podcast reads, Primetime Channels and live events like sports.
Premium is supposed to mean no ads, so seeing one feels like being charged for nothing. YouTube's help pages list a short set of causes, and the account one is the first to check.
What you're seeing and why
| What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ads before or during videos | You're signed out, on the wrong account, or Premium has lapsed | Check for the YouTube Premium logo and your membership at youtube.com/paid_memberships |
| Ads on music videos and Shorts only | You have Premium Lite | Upgrade to full Premium if music matters to you |
| Ads in YouTube but not YouTube Music | You have YouTube Music Premium, which only covers the Music app | Upgrade to YouTube Premium, which includes Music Premium |
| A creator talking about a brand, or a merch shelf | Creator promotions aren't ads YouTube removes | Nothing to fix: Premium doesn't cover these |
| Ads during a live sports event or on a Primetime Channel | YouTube says ads may appear there for Premium members | Nothing to fix |
| A pop-up card in the video | It's an info card added by the creator, not an ad | Turn off info cards in Settings, then Playback and performance |
Fixes to try, in order
- Make sure you're not in an incognito window. If you're not signed in, you'll see ads.
- Look for the YouTube Premium logo instead of the normal YouTube logo. If it's not there, you're on the wrong account.
- Sign out and sign back in to the account that pays for Premium.
- Check your membership hasn't expired at youtube.com/paid_memberships.
- Check you're in a country where Premium is available. YouTube says the benefits only work there.
- On a smart TV, sign in on the TV itself. If you're casting, you need to be signed in on both the TV and the phone or computer. With Google Home, check the account in the Google Home app.
- If an app opened a YouTube video in its own lightweight browser, sign in there too, or open the video in the YouTube app.
- For videos embedded on other websites, make sure you're not blocking YouTube cookies.
Premium, Premium Lite and Music Premium are not the same
This is the most common mix-up. YouTube sells three paid memberships that sound alike:
- YouTube Premium removes ads before and during videos across YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids, and includes YouTube Music Premium.
- Premium Lite removes ads on most videos like gaming and news, but ads may still appear on music content, Shorts and when you search or browse. It doesn't include YouTube Music Premium.
- YouTube Music Premium is ad-free inside the YouTube Music app only. YouTube says if that's all you have, you'll need to upgrade to YouTube Premium for ad-free videos.
Check which one you've got before you contact support. My explainer on what YouTube Premium Lite is lists exactly what counts as music content.
Allow YouTube cookies for embedded videos
If the ads only show on videos embedded in other sites, a cookie blocker may be the cause. YouTube's steps for Chrome on a computer are:
- Open Chrome, select Menu at the top right, then Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Site settings.
- Under Permissions, select Cookies and site data.
- Next to Sites that can always use cookies, click Add.
- Add an exception that covers youtube.com and its subdomains, then close.
Travelling with Premium
Your Premium membership is meant to be used mainly in the country where you signed up. If you travel somewhere Premium or Premium Lite is available, your benefits carry on. If you travel somewhere it isn't, you lose access to them, though videos you downloaded before the trip stay available offline for 30 days. YouTube also says that using a VPN to misrepresent your location can get your subscription cancelled, so a VPN isn't a safe fix for ads.
What to tell YouTube support
If none of the fixes work, YouTube asks you to include four things when you contact support: the type of ad you saw (before the video, a banner, mid-video, or on the homepage), where you saw it (youtube.com, the app, or a TV or console), a link to the video, and roughly when it happened. You can also send feedback from your profile photo and tick System logs, which helps YouTube trace the problem.
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My verdict
Start with the account. Most of the time the fix is signing in on the right device. If the ads are only on music and Shorts, you've almost certainly got Premium Lite, and that's working as designed. And if a creator is talking about a product, that's part of the video, not a YouTube ad. For every way to cut ads, with or without paying, see my guide on how to stop ads on YouTube, and if it's live streams you watch, check whether YouTube Live has ads.
Frequently asked questions
Why am I getting ads with YouTube Premium?
Usually you're signed out or on the wrong account, you're in a country where Premium isn't available, or you have Premium Lite or YouTube Music Premium instead of full Premium.
Does YouTube Premium remove all ads?
It removes ads before and during videos, but YouTube says you may still see creator promotions and podcast plugs, and ads on Primetime Channels and live events such as sports.
Why do I see ads on music with YouTube Premium Lite?
Premium Lite doesn't cover music content or Shorts. Ads may also appear when you search or browse.
Why do I see ads on YouTube on my TV with Premium?
Make sure you're signed in to your Premium account on the TV. If you're casting, you need to be signed in on both the TV and your phone or computer.
