The June 2021 update brought redesigned logo as well as fixing login and SponsorBlock bugs. Although the app will continue to function for users who have already installed it, the app will likely stop working at some point in the future without any further updates. On March 13, 2022, the developers of YouTube Vanced announced that the application would be shut down after they received a cease and desist letter from Google, which forced the developers to stop developing and distributing the app. The name Vanced originates from the word advanced but with ad removed, in reference to the software's ad blocking features. A YouTube Music version of Vanced was also developed. Other features of the app include SponsorBlock, background play, free picture-in-picture (PiP), an AMOLED black theme, swipe control for brightness and volume, and the ability to restore dislike counts on YouTube videos. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him hitting the gym, trying to ace a new hobby, reading his textbooks, or traveling.YouTube Vanced (or simply Vanced) is a discontinued, modified third-party YouTube application for Android with a built-in ad blocker. In addition to his role at AP, Arol is also a staff writer for sister site MakeUseOf, where he writes mostly about computing. You'll normally find him covering news, although he has also written the occasional deal, buyer's guide, how-to post, and round-up. While he's a technology lover at heart, he holds Android phones, and smartphones in general, close to heart. Arol brings half a decade of writing experience, and the occasional hot take, to his writings.
He transitioned to a news and feature writer role at XDA Developers that same year, where he worked until 2021 before making the jump to AP.
Years later, in 2017, he got his true start in tech journalism working for a small Google-focused site called Pixel Spot. He first began writing online for the short-lived portal of Spanish-language gaming forum Emudesc in 2013.
Arol is a tech journalist and contributor at Android Police.