Many YouTubers have been reporting a significant drop in view count to their videos for some time now. Some even reported a very drastic drop. YouTubers have noticed this change since mid-August, compared to what they were before. The exact reason for the low view count for YouTube videos is unclear, but fingers point at ad blockers.
Ad blockers could be a reason for the low view count for YouTube videos
The possible explanation for the low view count could be that YouTube is not counting views for users with an ad blocker enabled. This is apparently another move from YouTube in its war against ad blockers. YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes was the first to notice that view counts on TV, phones, and tablets have been steady, while the views from computers have dropped nearly 50% since mid-August. TechLinked, which is a channel of the Linus Tech Tips family, confirms a similar trend.
YouTube acknowledged the lower view count, where one of the possible explanations aligns with the ad blocker theory. “Ad blockers and other extensions can impact the accuracy of reported view counts. Channels whose audiences include a higher proportion of users utilizing such tools may see more fluctuations in traffic related to updates to these tools,” said YouTube.
Seasonal viewing habits and competition could be other reasons
In the post, YouTube clarifies that, against the popular speculation, Restricted Mode is not causing a drop in views. It notes that Restricted Mode represents only a small fraction of daily views on YouTube. This mode has been around since 2010, with no recent changes, and is not on by default. This is also completely separate from the age-protection measures, which apply to accounts under 18.
Other possible explanations for lower view count could be “seasonal viewing habits” and competition on the platform. It also notes that some channels had high-performing videos, which are now seeing their viewership return to normal. While this can feel like a drop, it’s actually “levelling off after a big spike.”
Though the views count is down, in a previous video, Linus Tech Tips said that the ad revenue was not. All things considered, the ad blocker thing sure makes a whole lot of sense, especially with YouTube hinting that ad blockers “can impact the accuracy of reported view counts.”
