Mobile browsers have been affected as well. uBlock Origin on Firefox for Android has been letting the ads through recently. Fortunately, NewPipe exists, but it depends on youtube-dl so, while it remains free of ads, it's also affected by this change surrounding age-restricted content.
Hopefully people start moving somewhere else within the next few years, maybe PeerTube. Admittedly, YouTube's network effects are disgustingly strong. I wonder what it would take to break them.
Having Android apps could help with people who use an Android device to watch videos on their TV. And if Google does not authorize these kinds of apps on the playstore I think it is more than time to start on an abuse of dominant position suit.
Issue thread is here.[0]
The only real solution is to move out of the walled garden alltogether. Peertube, anyone?
I deleted the app and now use Brave for YouTube watching on iOS. Clears most ads, and allows background playback if you full screen the video first.
This, the 2/3 ads being forced down me which are of no interest at all and the constant upselling of YouTube music and the recent shoot down of ad blockers on the desktop browser front really makes it a hostile place to be a consumer of media. I have experimentally uninstalled the YT app off my phone and not used the web site and I haven’t missed it a bit.