The makers of Vanced, an Android app that allows you to watch YouTube videos without ads, will stop further development of the project after a summons by Google. Current Vanced installations remain usable according to the makers.
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The download links on the website will be removed in the coming days, Vanced reports on Twitter† “We need to do this,” the account said, without further explanation. An admin of the project tells The Verge that the developers have received a cease-and-desist letter from Google, telling them to stop distributing and developing the app. All references and links to YouTube products should be removed.
By complying with the request, the creators of Vanced prevent further legal action from Google. Current installs of the app keep working“until they become obsolete in a year or two,” writes the Vanced account on YouTube.
Vanced is a modified version of the YouTube app that enables features such as ad blocking and background video playback without requiring users to pay for a YouTube Premium subscription. The app is not in the Google Play Store and it is not known how many users it has.