If you only watch on a TV, 6.17.740 is objectively superior to Premium (it adds SponsorBlock and costs nothing). NewPipe is great for phones but lacks TV UI. Google actively fights ad-blocking clients. In late 2025, they rolled out “Android TV API v3,” which temporarily broke 6.17.720. The developer quickly patched it in 6.17.740 . However, no version lasts forever.

| Feature | Official YouTube App | Smart YouTube TV 6.17.740 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Ads before video | Yes (2x often unskippable) | | | Mid-roll ads | Yes (every 3-7 minutes on long content) | None | | Background play | Requires YouTube Premium | Free | | Sponsor segments | Manual skipping | Auto-skip via SponsorBlock | | 4K playback | Yes (but with ads) | Yes (ad-free) | | Cost | Free with ads / $13.99 for Premium | Completely free | | Device support | Official Android TV, Google TV | Any Android 5.0+ device |

A: In theory yes, but in over 4 years of SmartTube history, there are zero confirmed account bans. Google seems to target mobile-based Vanced clients more aggressively.

A: The TV interface intentionally hides comments to keep the UI clean. You can enable them in Settings > UI > Show comments (restart required).