An Android app that automatically skips YouTube ads by detecting and pressing the “Skip” button using Accessibility Service.

Overview

This app runs in the background and monitors the YouTube app for the “Skip Ad” button. When detected, it automatically presses the button, allowing you to enjoy videos without manually skipping ads.

How It Works

The app uses Android’s Accessibility Service to:

  1. Monitor the screen for UI elements
  2. Detect when the YouTube “Skip Ad” button appears
  3. Automatically perform a click action on the button
  4. Check every 2 seconds for new skip opportunities

Source Code

The complete source code is available on GitHub:

Installation & Usage

Step 1: Build the App

git clone https://github.com/dss99911/youtube-skip.git
cd youtube-skip
./gradlew assembleDebug

Or open the project in Android Studio and build from there.

Step 2: Install the App

adb install app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

Or install directly from Android Studio.

Step 3: Enable Accessibility Service

  1. Open Settings on your Android device
  2. Go to Accessibility
  3. Find the YouTube Auto Skip app
  4. Enable the Accessibility Service
  5. Grant necessary permissions

Step 4: Start Using

  • Open YouTube and play any video
  • The app will automatically detect and skip ads
  • The skip button is checked every 2 seconds

Technical Details

Accessibility Service Implementation

The core of this app is an Accessibility Service that:

  • Listens for AccessibilityEvent from the YouTube app
  • Searches the view hierarchy for the skip button
  • Performs click actions programmatically

Key Files

  • AccessibilityService implementation for screen monitoring
  • Button detection logic using content description matching
  • Periodic checking mechanism

Limitations

  • Only works with the official YouTube app
  • Requires Accessibility Service permission
  • May not work with YouTube updates that change button IDs
  • Battery usage increases slightly due to background monitoring

Privacy & Security

  • The app only monitors the YouTube app
  • No data is collected or transmitted
  • All processing happens locally on device
  • Open source for full transparency

This app is for educational purposes. Using automation to skip ads may violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. Use at your own discretion.