What is YouTube ReVanced?

YouTube ReVanced is an open-source Android application patcher that applies community-developed "patches" to the official YouTube APK, enabling features that Google keeps behind its YouTube Premium paywall or has deliberately removed. It is the direct successor to the discontinued YouTube Vanced project and is maintained by a passionate open-source community.

Unlike YouTube Vanced which was a standalone modified APK, ReVanced is a patching framework — meaning it patches the official YouTube app rather than replacing it entirely, which makes it more legally resilient and harder for Google to block.

From Vanced to ReVanced: A Brief History

YouTube Vanced launched around 2018 and quickly became the most popular ad-free YouTube client with tens of millions of downloads. In March 2022, the Vanced team announced its discontinuation following a legal threat from Google. Within weeks, the ReVanced project emerged — built by former Vanced contributors and the broader modding community — using a fundamentally different technical approach.

Rather than distributing a pre-patched APK (which creates IP issues), ReVanced distributes a patcher that you run locally on your own device. This means you patch your own YouTube app yourself, which is legally far more defensible.

Why Use ReVanced in 2026?

  • Save $167.88/year compared to YouTube Premium
  • Block 100% of ads including unskippable 30-second ads
  • Skip sponsored content with SponsorBlock community database
  • Play music/podcasts with screen off (background play)
  • See real dislike counts restored on every video
  • Fully customizable UI with AMOLED dark mode
  • Open source — the entire codebase is publicly auditable

Is YouTube ReVanced Safe?

Yes. The ReVanced patches are hosted on GitHub under open-source licenses. Anyone can inspect the code. The patching process runs entirely on your device — no APK is uploaded to our servers. Our pre-built APKs are compiled directly from official source repositories in CI/CD pipelines with checksum verification.

As for your Google account: tens of millions of users worldwide use ReVanced without account issues. The app makes identical API calls to the official YouTube app, making it indistinguishable to Google's servers.

What is MicroG and Why Do I Need It?

MicroG (also called GmsCore) is an open-source re-implementation of Google Play Services. It acts as a bridge that allows ReVanced to authenticate with Google's servers for account login — without requiring root access or the full Google Play Services stack. It's privacy-focused, minimal, and has been independently audited. Without MicroG on non-root devices, you cannot sign into your Google account in ReVanced.

What is ReVanced Extended (RVX)?

ReVanced Extended is an unofficial fork of the main ReVanced project, primarily maintained by developer inotia00. RVX includes additional experimental patches not yet merged into the main project: custom icons, extra layout toggles, advanced Material You theming, additional SponsorBlock segment types, and more granular ad-blocking controls. It's ideal for power users who want maximum customization.