If you’re reading this, you’re probably an avid YouTube user. And if you are, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on. As imperfect as it may be, YouTube is invaluable. Whether I’m watching a movie/game review at lunchtime or an instructional video on how to remove carpet from my first house, there’s not a streaming service I use more than YouTube.
But with each day that passes in 2026, something else becomes unignorable. The free YouTube experience as we once knew it is dead — and it’s never coming back.
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