Everyone loves Hulu, the world’s premier online streaming service that not only offers great content from creators but also produces much of its own. However, the main problem with Hulu is that it shows a significant amount of ads. And that can ruin the whole stream for any user, no matter how patient they are.
So in this guide, we’ll discuss the best Hulu ad blocker tools in 2021.
So, you want to use an ad blocker to disable Hulu ads. On that point, there are methods where you can effectively skip Hulu ads without using an ad blocker. We’ll discuss those methods in a bit, but let’s kick things off with the most common way to get rid of ads on Hulu:
Method 1: Install an Ad Blocking App or Extension
The tried and tested method to get rid of ads on Hulu and pretty much every internet streaming website, platform or app, including YouTube and Crunchyroll, is to install a good ad block extension on your browser. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome offer different kinds of ad blockers through their extensions. But the best ad blocker app in the market today is either uBlock Origin or AdGuard.
AdGuard has a fantastic record of blocking ads on almost all websites. But if it doesn’t work to skip ads on Hulu or another streaming website, you can move forward to these solutions:
Method 2: Open Two Browser Tabs and Play the Same Hulu Video on Both Tabs
For this step, we’ll assume the device you’re using to stream Hulu can run two tabs at the same time.
Step 1: Launch your web browser and go to Hulu’s website.
Step 2: Search for a movie/show of your liking.
Step 3: Open another tab and play the same Hulu movie or TV series on that tab.
Step 4: Mute the second tab.
Step 5: On the second tab (on mute), fast-forward the video until you reach the first ad. Stop a few seconds before the ad plays on the screen.
Just like all other streaming sites that show users ads, Hulu has small bright spots on the stream bar indicating where the ad is placed on a given video.
Step 6: Return to the first tab.
Step 7: Start watching your video on the first tab screen.
Step 8: When you hit an ad on the first tab, switch to the second Hulu site tab.
Turn up the volume and keep your video stream going as you watch.
Step 9: Keep repeating until you reach the end of the movie.
Method 3: Reload Hulu
You don’t necessarily need an ad blocker to get rid of ads on Hulu. This is another way to effectively block ads.
Most of the time, if you reload Hulu whenever you hit an ad that’s particularly long, the site will show you two shorter ads once you’re done re-loading the page. Moreover, Hulu’s streaming player will start where you left off when you refreshed the page. So, instead of watching minutes of ads, you only have to watch seconds of ads.
Method 4: Pay for the Premium Version
A great way to disable annoying ads on Hulu without installing any additional app is to pay $11.99 per month for the premium version of the service. The premium version offers other features too.
Note:
Keep in mind, though, Hulu notes on its website that a handful of shows aren’t available on the ad-free premium version.Method 5: Use Hulu Ad Skipper
Think of the Hulu Ad Skipper as an ad blocker that is exclusively made for Hulu. This free extension for web browsers detects advertisements and skips through them so the user can get back to watching their favorite videos. It’s an easy way to skip ads that other blockers haven’t blocked.
It’s not as widely adopted as AdGuard, AdBlock or AdBlock Plus, and if those ad blockers don’t successfully skip ads on Hulu videos, this is your next best option.
Method 6: Use Automatically Skip Hulu Ads
Automatically Skip Hulu Ads is for people who didn’t find success with more well-known ad blockers like uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus or AdGuard. As its name suggests, this free Hulu ad blocker extension provides a way for users to skip ads on Hulu. Like the above ad-blocking extension, this tool will skip ads that other apps haven’t blocked.
Note that the chances are low that this extension will work on ads that uBlock Origin and AdGuard failed. But just like the previous Hulu ad blocker tools we mentioned, this one can also speed up ads if it can’t block them. So, instead of having to watch a 90 second commercial on Hulu, you can be done in six seconds.
Bonus Method: Use a Web Filter to Block Hulu Ads
This method works if you know how to operate your router control panel. You can set web filters to block Hulu ads.
Granted, this method won’t work all the time, but it should come in handy when nothing else works. The exact steps will be unique to each user’s router make and model, so adjust accordingly.
Step 1: Open your favorite web browser.
We’re assuming here that your device has an internet connection.
Step 2: Input the IP address of your router into the browser URL bar.
Many routers have this address as 192.168.0.1 but yours might be different. In any case, click Enter once you have done so.
Step 3: Click the section labeled “Filters” or “Parental Control.”
This step depends on your router, but generally, you’ll need to go to the categories that allow you to set up web filters.
Step 4: Add the domain name ads-e-darwin.hulustream.com
This is the address you need to block via web filtering.
You should be able to block Hulu ads with this solution. Don’t forget to save and restart your router once you’re done.
Conclusion: What’s the Best Hulu Ad Blocker?
You’re free to choose any method you like to block ads on Hulu. But we recommend you try and stick with either uBlock Origin or AdGuard. While the other methods and ad blockers mentioned in this post are great, they aren’t always effective.
Alternatively, you can get the premium/plus version of Hulu to enjoy ad-free browsing without annoying commercials.
Leave a comment to let us know which method worked for you.