5 Ways to Watch YouTube Without Going to YouTube (2024)

Are you tired of YouTube's interface, suggestions, comments, and clutter? If yes, there's a way to continue watching content on the platform without putting up with the distracting elements by using alternative YouTube links, sites, and apps.

We'll show you various ways you can watch YouTube videos without going to YouTube.

SafeShare is a way to open YouTube videos without YouTube itself. It strips away all the junk that can make the YouTube viewing experience so frustrating—there are no comments, suggestions, or other distractions. The site also removes ads from videos, making it ideal for use in classrooms or at home with kids.

Some other cool features on SafeShare include custom URLs (which are better for sharing and memorizing than random YouTube URLs) and playlists. The playlists feature allows you to create custom playlists for easy organization and sharing.

Another awesome feature, if you plan to share content, is the ability to trim videos and only share a specific section. Lastly, the platform also supports Vimeo, one of the best alternatives to YouTube.

2. VLC

One of the most oft-overlooked ways to watch YouTube is to skip the browser entirely. Instead, you can use a specialist video player app that'll stream videos directly from a URL. VLC is probably the most well-known such player, but there are many other video players for macOS, iOS, Android, and Windows that provide the same functionality.

Using VLC to watch YouTube is easy. Just make sure you are using the full version of the video player rather than the stripped-out Microsoft Store version.

To play the video, go to Media > Open Network Stream and paste in the full YouTube URL for the specific video you want to watch. When you are ready, hit the Play button and give the stream a few seconds to load and buffer. On macOS, click File > Open Network and paste the video link.

3. DF Tube

DF Tube—short for Distraction-Free Tube—is a Chrome browser extension that lets you improve the original YouTube site rather than offering an alternative YouTube URL. It is a great way to watch videos without YouTube.

The tool allows you to hide the feed, hide the end cards at the end of the YouTube video you're currently watching, hide the sidebar, hide the notification bell in the top right, hide the comments, hide the subscription bar, hide live chat, hide the trending tab, and disable autoplay. You can even use it to disable playlists.

We think the last feature is especially noteworthy. One of the most annoying aspects of using YouTube is finding a video you want to watch only to find it buried deep in a 100-video-long playlist of rubbish.

4. VideoLink

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VideoLink is another way to watch YouTube videos without YouTube. It looks identical to SafeShare, where you paste a YouTube video link and it generates a special URL that you can use to watch and share the video.

The home page of the site has a search bar where you can enter your video URL and then select Generate Link. The platform then takes you to a different page with the video embedded.

The site assumes you plan to share the video link, but you don't have to use its sharing features. Other features that VideoLink offers include the ability to generate short video URLs, share with QR Codes, fewer ads, and a custom range.

5. NSFW YouTube

Despite the connotations of the name, NSFW YouTube is actually a tool that lets you watch any YouTube video—regardless of age restrictions—without logging into your account (or even owning an account).

This has a few benefits. For example, if you're on a public computer, you might not feel comfortable logging into your account just to watch an age-restricted video. It might also provide a workaround in the event that YouTube has been blocked on your local network by either your school or employer.

To use NSFW YouTube, you don't even need to visit the site.

Just find a YouTube video that you cannot watch without logging in and type nsfw before youtube in the address (i.e., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhsng72lC4s would become https://www.nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=Vhsng72lC4s).

Alternatively, use the site's search bar to search for videos and watch them without going to YouTube.

On the downside, because of the way the site works, if the video's uploader has blocked their video from being embedded on sites outside YouTube, the tool will not let you watch.

Can You Watch a YouTube Video Without Giving It Views?

All the sites we listed, as well as other similar ones you may come across, will give the video a +1 on the view counter.

The only way to avoid it is to use a YouTube downloader, though that is against YouTube's Terms of Service.

Using alternative YouTube URLs is just one small part of maximizing your YouTube experience. You can find alternative YouTube apps for Android and iOS, as well as cracked apps that remove ads and other annoyances.

Remember, these are not officially supported sites and could go offline at any time.