Can't load any YouTube videos

[MooBloo22]

What happened?

The video buffers for a while and a message saying 'detecting YouTube blocking attempt, fallback to iOS(1)' pops up before I get the error message telling me to login to prove I'm not a bot despite being logged in.

Grayjay Version

253

What plugins are you seeing the problem on?

Youtube

Plugin Version

190

When do you experience the issue?

• [X] While logged in
• [X] While logged out
• [ ] N/A

Relevant log output

No response

[nOmnomNOM3]

Having same issue. Tried different accounts and clearing caches. Loads other sources fine

[codebymatter]

Definitely seeing the "Blocking attempt..Fallback to iOS" but have yet to encounter the message you've shared as img. Need to also mention that I watched a YouTube livestream for 45mins all the while engaging with the YT chats and did not encounter any errors. Noticed the msgs yesterday by the way.

[MooBloo22]

In my instance it had been occuring for hours before I posted and it seems to have 'scared' it into working again but it does appear I'm not the only one to have experienced this and it's an ongoing issue. Didn't do anything aside from clearing data, reinstalling, restarted my phone etc. Unsure what could have changed in the meantime.

[MooBloo22]

Found out the issue is very likely to be a conflict with my work's WiFi. I was wracking my mind for variables and it worked at home and on mobile data but not with my work's WiFi.

[nOmnomNOM3]

Having issues on cell and home wifi. YouTube work independently I can load channels and content but I can't download or watch anything on YouTube. In the past I had this issue when I did not sign in with the plugin. But that is not the case anymore

On Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 6:59 AM MooBloo22 @.***> wrote:

Closed #1231 https://github.com/futo-org/grayjay-android/issues/1231 as completed.

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[codebymatter]

Found out the issue is very likely to be a conflict with my work's WiFi. I was wracking my mind for variables and it worked at home and on mobile data but not with my work's WiFi.

Welp that could be it I'm including acreens of me logging off and logging back on tho:

[nOmnomNOM3]

not a gj issue apparently. Turned off my VPN and videos load. I really hate Google.

On Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 7:06 AM Stone @.***> wrote:

Having issues on cell and home wifi. YouTube work independently I can load channels and content but I can't download or watch anything on YouTube. In the past I had this issue when I did not sign in with the plugin. But that is not the case anymore

On Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 6:59 AM MooBloo22 @.***> wrote:

Closed #1231 https://github.com/futo-org/grayjay-android/issues/1231 as completed.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/futo-org/grayjay-android/issues/1231#event-13806544435, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AE34PU3PCUX7DJOVL5GVHT3ZQNTSDAVCNFSM6AAAAABMFHBEM2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV45UABCJFZXG5LFIV3GK3TUJZXXI2LGNFRWC5DJN5XDWMJTHAYDMNJUGQ2DGNI . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

[Argel-Tal]

Happening for me too, no VPNs active.

Triggers on each vid, sometimes it gets through the first warning msg, but will restart the vid. Other times it'll just keep throwing the warning after a short 5s buffering window.

Only had had the login screen pop-up once

[MooBloo22]

New error message today. Still working except when on work WiFi.

[MooBloo22]

[codebymatter]

Yes this looks a lot like something I woyld see when on a VPN. The Google Bot Check can also happen when Google dstects a different IP address or network deemed as suspicious. Not sure how to technically phrase it, sorry.. This sometimes happens on Private Browsing also.

My previous employer had free public WiFi and I remember connecting once to it so I can stream at a higher resolution and when I returned home, Google detectef a suspicious connection, requiring captcha, even thougb my home neteork is always used.

[Argel-Tal]

Happened again today, even with "login for video/channel content" and "provide youtube activity" swtiched off

Version information (version_name = 253, version_code = 253, flavor = stable, build_type = release) Device information (brand= samsung, manufacturer = samsung, device = a32x, version-sdk = 33, version-os = samsung/a32xxx/a32x:13/TP1A.220624.014/A326BXXU9CWL1:user/release-keys)

(e, ExceptionActivity, 2024-08-10 02:34:18): Uncaught exception ("Unknown Context"): [Youtube] Login required Reason: Sign in to confirm you’re not a bot (455)[2-3]

[prkuctd]

Is it related to sponsorblock? When I disable SponsorBlock, I do not need to prove myself not to be a bot.

[MuriFlavo]

Is it related to sponsorblock? When I disable SponsorBlock, I do not need to prove myself not to be a bot.

I have never used sponsorblock and still get it with vpn on, vpn off it still falls back to iOS. With sponsorblock and no vpn it works for me at least.

[serossi]

its very likely not VPN related directly. its https, so it shouldnt make any difference.

however youtube always rollsout changes in batches, based on region and IP blocks. so what we see here is either a testrun or a first batch of an release. given the recent crackdown on ublock on chrome i would guess its a rollout of a new anti adblock / anti 3rd party client wave

and your vpn providers just happens to be within this batch. (i would even not be surprised if youtube betatests in an IP block with all VPN providers in just because...aka the expendables)

[MooBloo22]

Latest version of this error after the most recent update. Still working everywhere else except work WiFi.

[TheShanMan]

Grayjay has become unusable for me on a vpn because YT thinks I'm a bot. I wish it had the ability to use Invidious instances. That's what's been working for me.

I disagree that it's not specifically vpn related. Some sites block vpn's entirely, and others make you jump through captcha hoops. The internet is becoming unfriendly to anonymity. I hope Grayjay will embrace privacy minded folks and implement fixes/workarounds for use cases like vpn's.

[dimyself]

same for me today after i just updated the youtube plugihn

every video i click on in youtube is like this today.

i just updated the youtube plugin (version 194)

"Use login for channels" is off "allow loginfallback" is on "use login for video details" is off "provide youtube activity" is off "allow age / controversial restricted" are both on "sponsorblock" is enabled

every single youtube video i click on now says:

"sign in to confirm you're not a bot (415). failed to load video"

EDIT

i turned off my vpn (nord), and videos load now.

i guess this means youtube will see my real ip if i download or play a video without vpn turned on??

or does grayjay mask your real ip somehow from youtube?

Thank you!!

[codebymatter]

Good question. I wouldn't be worried if I dowbloaded YT videos through Grayjay honestly like in the same way as using YT to MP3, which I rarely do much of.

I am a VPN user and understand what could be described or discerned as an extreme of leaving little to no user footprint fine but I must ask: Is this a relative issue with ReVanced? Newpipe? Do these work flawlessly with an active VPN or LAN proxy?

[TheShanMan]

For me, Newpipe and Revanced have the same issue, as does youtube itself opened in a browser. The one thing that still does work: Invidious, and that's because they've come up with a strategy to overcome this issue. I don't know if the strategy they're using could be applied to apps because they apply the strategy on the server side, but if nothing else it would be great if Grayjay had a mechanism for specifying an invidious instance (ideally, multiple instances) and using that for youtube requests.

I haven't been following current activity on Newpipe or Revanced, so I don't know if they're coming up with solutions to this problem.