YouTube webOS Cobalt AdFree

Unofficial Cobalt-based YouTube app modification for LG webOS TVs with ad blocking and SponsorBlock support.

This project patches the webOS YouTube application by replacing or modifying the Cobalt runtime used by YouTube TV on webOS. The goal is to keep the original YouTube TV experience while adding ad blocking, SponsorBlock support and related improvements.

This project is unofficial and is not affiliated with YouTube, Google, LG or webOS.

v1.2.1

The latest release is available from the GitHub releases page:

https://github.com/RF1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree/releases

The standard package uses the original Leanback app id, youtube.leanback.v4, to keep YouTube sign-in and phone pairing compatible. Installing it replaces the official YouTube application with the patched version.

A separate compatibility package is available for the LG CineBeam HU710PB-GL and potentially other PJTR/k7lp devices. It uses the stock PJTR app id, youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr, and must only be used on compatible devices.

Features

YouTube for LG webOS TVs
Cobalt-based runtime modification
Advertisement blocking
SponsorBlock support
Return YouTube Dislike support
Automatic account selection on startup
Playback speed support
Optional autostart integration
Installable as patched .ipk package

The configuration screen can be opened with the GREEN button on the LG remote. While a video is playing, press 1 to decrease the playback speed or 3 to increase it. Press 0 to toggle subtitles on or off. The available playback speeds range from 0.25× to 2×.

Requirements

LG TV with webOS
Homebrew Channel, Developer Mode or root access
Docker
Git
Linux or macOS build environment
Required tools:

sudo apt install jq git sed binutils squashfs-tools rename findutils xz-utils

The standard patched app uses youtube.leanback.v4 and therefore replaces the official YouTube application. The PJTR compatibility package uses youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr and replaces the stock PJTR YouTube application. Keep a copy of the appropriate official package if you want to restore it later.

Tested Cobalt baseline

The closest currently tested match to a working stock LG installation for the standard package is:

Cobalt:       23.lts.6
Starboard:    API 13
Architecture: ARMv7 softfp
Starter:      original LG webOS Cobalt starter from the same stock runtime

This combination has been tested successfully on the TV from which the stock runtime was collected. The patched Cobalt library keeps the original ABI and raises Cobalt's combined persistent cookie/local-storage limit from 4 MiB to 16 MiB. It also logs the serialized storage size and rejects oversized writes explicitly instead of failing silently.

The separate PJTR/k7lp compatibility package uses:

Cobalt:       23.lts.6
Starboard:    API 12
Architecture: ARMv7 softfp
Starter:      stock LG k7lp/PJTR Cobalt starter
App ID:       youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr

Tested devices

The issue tracker contains the following explicit confirmations. A device is only listed here when a reporter confirmed that the app starts and is usable; reports that only confirm installation are not counted. Any reported limitations are included in the result column.

Current compatibility baseline

Model	webOS	Firmware	Release	Confirmed result
LG C1 OLED	6.5.0	03.51.16	v1.2.0 standard package	Clean installation, sign-in, playback, ad blocking and SponsorBlock work. (#33)
LG CineBeam HU710PB-GL	6.3.1	03.00.27	v1.2.1 PJTR package	Installation, home screen, sign-in, playback, ad blocking, SponsorBlock and launch after restart work. webOS required selecting Update in the Content Store prompt before the first successful launch. (#1)

The standard v1.2.1 package uses the same Cobalt 23.lts.6 / Starboard 13 compatibility baseline as v1.2.0, but has not yet received a separate standard package device confirmation in the issue tracker. A C1 report for v1.2.0 confirms that 4K was still unavailable on that device (#2).

Confirmed on earlier releases

Model	webOS	Firmware	Release	Confirmed result
LG TV65QNED (exact suffix not reported)	6.5.3	03.53.45	v1.0.0	Playback and ad blocking work; maximum quality is 1080p. (#2)
LG 43UP8000PTB	6.5.3-47	03.53.45	v1.0.0	Starts and works after installation through Developer Mode; reporter did not provide a feature-by-feature test. (#7)
LG C1 OLED	6.5.3-47	03.53.45	v1.0.0	Playback and SponsorBlock work after the initial black-screen start; limited to 1080p and RYD did not work in this build. (#3)
LG 65QNED913PA	6.5.3-47	03.53.45	v1.0.0	Playback works at up to 1080p; the stock app reaches 2160p on the same TV. (#2)
LG OLED55G19LA	6.5.3	03.53.45	v1.0.0	Playback works at up to 1080p. (#2)
LG 7070NANO75SPA	6.5.3-47	Not reported	v1.0.0	Playback works below 4K; sponsored recommendations were still visible. (#2)
LG OLED65A1PVA	6.5.3	03.53.45	v1.0.0	Playback works at up to 1080p. (#2)
LG OLED55C1AUB	6.5.3	03.53.45	v1.1.1	Playback works, including 4K on a tested AV1 video; a tested VP9 video was limited to 1080p. (#2)
LG OLED55C14LB	6.5.3	03.53.45	v1.1.0	Playback works, but the 1/3 playback-speed shortcuts did not work in this release. (#22)
LG OLED55A16LA	Not reported	03.53.45	v1.1.1 / v1.1.2	Signed-in playback and SponsorBlock work at up to 1080p; signed-out regular videos remain black. (device report, working result)
LG OLED55A19LA	6.2.0-31	Not reported	v1.1.3	Sign-in, playback, 4K and HDR work; still working after a TV restart. (test, restart)
LG OLED48CXRLA	5.5.0	04.50.90	v1.1.4, repacked	Starts, plays video and survives reboot after repacking the IPK with non-epoch timestamps. The unmodified release IPK is rejected by this firmware. (#29)
LG OLED83C17LA	Not reported	03.53.45	v1.1.4	Works normally; v1.1.5 crashes on the same TV. (#30)
LG OLED65C15LA	6.5.3	03.53.45	v1.1.0	Works normally; later tested releases did not start on the same TV. (#10)
LG OLED48C14LB	6.5.3-47	Not reported	v1.1.1	Playback works, but the progress bar and chapter scrubbing can become incorrect. (#26)
LG G1	Not reported	Not reported	v1.1.6	App and video controls work, but 4K is unavailable. (#2)

These are individual community reports, not guarantees for every regional variant of the same model. Firmware, installation method, sign-in state and the exact release can change the result. In particular, the repacked webOS 5.5 entry is not a confirmation of the normal downloadable standard IPK.

Community-reported device, firmware and feature results are collected in the device compatibility matrix. The matrix also contains the reporting template and unpatched baseline test packages used for compatibility investigations.

Owners of rooted TVs can help investigate older firmware by collecting the starter from a working stock YouTube installation. See the stock starter collection guide.

Installation

Download the package matching your device from the release page and install it using one of the following methods.

Standard package

Use this package for the standard youtube.leanback.v4 application:

youtube.leanback.v4_1.2.1_arm.ipk

The release also contains youtube.leanback.v4.manifest.json for installation of the standard package through the webOS Homebrew Channel.

PJTR/k7lp compatibility package

Use this package only for the LG CineBeam HU710PB-GL or another confirmed PJTR/k7lp device using the stock app id youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr:

youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr_1.2.1_arm.ipk

SHA-256:

6dce6805b13cc008743d3cfb5d9ec45018728303e0b89c4fb0655636fb4589cb

Because this package uses the same app id as the stock PJTR YouTube application, webOS may display an Update or Launch prompt after installation. On the tested HU710PB-GL, selecting Update and completing the Content Store update was required before the application could be launched. The patched app continued to work normally afterwards.

The PJTR package is an unofficial community compatibility build containing a stock LG Cobalt starter. The original starter archive and standalone proprietary binaries are not distributed separately.

Custom Homebrew Channel repository

This project also provides a custom Homebrew Channel repository for the standard package:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RF1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree/main/repo.json

In Homebrew Channel, open Settings, choose Add repository, and enter the URL above.

Important: The standard package uses the same app id (youtube.leanback.v4) as the YouTube AdFree entry in the default WebOSBrew repository. Do not install both variants at the same time: choose one repository entry and uninstall the other variant first.

The PJTR/k7lp package is currently available as a manual release download and is not included in the custom Homebrew Channel repository.

Install via webOS Device Manager

Use the webOS Device Manager and install the downloaded .ipk package.

Install via ares-cli

Standard package:

ares-install youtube.leanback.v4_1.2.1_arm.ipk

PJTR/k7lp package:

ares-install youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr_1.2.1_arm.ipk

Install via SSH on rooted/Homebrew webOS

Download the appropriate release package to /media/developer/temp and install it through the webOS app install service.

Standard package:

mkdir -p /media/developer/temp
cd /media/developer/temp
wget https://github.com/RF1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree/releases/download/v1.2.1/youtube.leanback.v4_1.2.1_arm.ipk
luna-send-pub -i 'luna://com.webos.appInstallService/dev/install' '{"id":"com.ares.defaultName","ipkUrl":"/media/developer/temp/youtube.leanback.v4_1.2.1_arm.ipk","subscribe":true}'

PJTR/k7lp package:

mkdir -p /media/developer/temp
cd /media/developer/temp
wget https://github.com/RF1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree/releases/download/v1.2.1/youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr_1.2.1_arm.ipk
luna-send-pub -i 'luna://com.webos.appInstallService/dev/install' '{"id":"com.ares.defaultName","ipkUrl":"/media/developer/temp/youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr_1.2.1_arm.ipk","subscribe":true}'

After installation, the downloaded package can be removed:

rm /media/developer/temp/youtube.leanback.v4*_1.2.1_arm.ipk

Patch an official YouTube IPK

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/RF1705/youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree.git
cd youtube-webos-cobalt-adfree

Maintainer build images are stored separately in the private RF1705/YouTube-webos-images repository. Authorized maintainers can clone or update them with:

make images

The files are checked out into the ignored .private-images directory and verified against that repository's SHA256SUMS. Locally built Cobalt archives in cobalt-bin/ take precedence over the private copy.

Patch your official YouTube IPK:

make package PACKAGE=./your-tv-youtube.ipk

For maintainers, a plain make builds the current standard package from the private youtube-official-1.1.5.tar.gz base and the tested 23.lts.6/Starboard 13 runtime:

make

Do not commit or publish the stock application backup. It can contain LG/YouTube-protected files such as drm.nfz; the packaging process removes that file from the patched IPK.

k7lp/PJTR package

The HU710PB-GL stock starter uses the application id youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr, ARMv7 softfp and Starboard API 12. Build its separate package with:

make pjtr-package

The target updates the private images, verifies the exact starter contents and uses .private-images/cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-12.xz to create:

output/youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr_1.2.1_arm.ipk

Override PROJECT_VERSION when preparing another release. The starter archive is private input and must remain outside Git. The build checks the exact file list, app id, k7lp metadata and known SHA-256 hashes of cobalt and appinfo.json before packaging.

Only the finished compatibility IPK is published. Do not publish the original starter archive, a standalone stock cobalt binary or device dump files.

By default the patched package uses:

App ID: youtube.leanback.v4
Name:   YouTube webOS Cobalt AdFree

The patched IPK will be created in the output/ directory.

Standalone Cobalt launcher

The standalone launcher path builds an app that only starts Cobalt with the YouTube TV URL. It does not copy files from an official YouTube package.

make standalone-package

Default values:

App ID: com.cobalt.youtube.launcher
Name:   YouTube Cobalt
URL:    https://www.youtube.com/tv?launch=menu
Cobalt: Evergreen 7.1.2, arm-softfp, sbversion-18

This target needs a free Cobalt runtime directory containing:

cobalt-bin/7.1.2-arm-softfp-sb18/cobalt
cobalt-bin/7.1.2-arm-softfp-sb18/lib/libcobalt.lz4
cobalt-bin/7.1.2-arm-softfp-sb18/content/

libcobalt.lz4 and content/ can come from the official Cobalt Evergreen release asset:

cobalt_evergreen_7.1.2_arm-softfp_sbversion-18_release_compressed_20260627021609.crx

The release asset does not include the webOS app starter. Provide a webOS-compatible Cobalt starter from the matching 27.lts.1 source/port and copy it into the runtime directory as cobalt. Cobalt's Evergreen loader_app target may produce a shared object on Evergreen platforms; that is not by itself the executable webOS main file.

The older patch archives usually only contain libcobalt.so, because they reuse the official YouTube app's Cobalt starter. In that case the standalone target stops with a clear error instead of falling back to official app files.

The app id, title and URL can be changed:

make standalone-package \
  STANDALONE_APP_ID=com.cobalt.youtube.launcher \
  STANDALONE_DISPLAY_NAME="YouTube Cobalt" \
  STANDALONE_YOUTUBE_URL="https://www.youtube.com/tv?launch=menu"

For a compatibility proof of concept that uses the extracted webOS starter with the matching 23.lts.6-12 runtime:

make standalone-poc-package

This still builds a separate app and does not patch the official YouTube app. The extracted starter is only a temporary compatibility bridge until a free webOS Cobalt starter is available.

Autostart

Autostart can make the app appear as an input source next to HDMI/Live TV.

Enable autostart for the standard package:

luna-send-pub -n 1 'luna://com.webos.service.eim/addDevice' '{"appId":"youtube.leanback.v4","pigImage":"","mvpdIcon":""}'

Disable autostart for the standard package:

luna-send-pub -n 1 'luna://com.webos.service.eim/deleteDevice' '{"appId":"youtube.leanback.v4"}'

For the PJTR package, replace youtube.leanback.v4 with youtube.leanback.v4-pjtr in these commands.

Autostart may improve startup time because the app can stay loaded in the background. This can increase idle memory usage.

Build Cobalt

The repository may include prebuilt Cobalt binaries in cobalt-bin.

To build Cobalt yourself, the build process clones Cobalt, applies the patches from cobalt-patches, builds libcobalt.so, and packages the result.

Example:

make BUILD_COBALT_PARALLEL=4 BUILD_COBALT_DEBUG=0 WEBAPP_DEBUG=0 \
  cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-12/libcobalt.so \
  cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-12.xz

For the standard SB13 runtime:

make BUILD_COBALT_PARALLEL=4 BUILD_COBALT_DEBUG=0 WEBAPP_DEBUG=0 \
  cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-13/libcobalt.so \
  cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-13.xz

For a clean rebuild after changing the Cobalt patch:

make clean-workdir/cobalt-23.lts.6
rm -rf cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-13 cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-13.xz
make BUILD_COBALT_PARALLEL=4 BUILD_COBALT_DEBUG=0 WEBAPP_DEBUG=0 \
  cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-13/libcobalt.so \
  cobalt-bin/23.lts.6-13.xz

Development TV setup

Developer Mode App

Install the Developer Mode app on the TV, enable Developer Mode and enable the keyserver. Then download the private key:

http://TV_IP:9991/webos_rsa

Configure the TV:

ares-setup-device -a webos \
  -i "username=prisoner" \
  -i "privatekey=/path/to/webos_rsa" \
  -i "passphrase=PASSPHRASE" \
  -i "host=TV_IP" \
  -i "port=9922"

Homebrew Channel / root access

Enable SSH in the Homebrew Channel app, copy your public SSH key to the TV, then configure the device:

ares-setup-device -a webos \
  -i "username=root" \
  -i "privatekey=/path/to/id_rsa" \
  -i "passphrase=SSH_KEY_PASSPHRASE" \
  -i "host=TV_IP" \
  -i "port=22"

Project status

This project is community maintained. YouTube TV, Cobalt and webOS can change at any time. Ad blocking, SponsorBlock, login behavior or playback features may break after updates from YouTube or LG.

Credits

This project builds on research and work from the webOS Homebrew, Cobalt and YouTube TV modification communities.

Special thanks to these projects and maintainers whose work made this project possible:

Thanks to the contributors in issue #1 for providing the PJTR starter, device information and compatibility testing.

If this project helps you, you can support the maintainer here:

https://buymeacoffee.com/rf1705

License

See the included license files for details.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github		.github
.vscode		.vscode
assets		assets
cobalt-patches		cobalt-patches
docs		docs
screenshots		screenshots
scripts		scripts
standalone		standalone
webapp		webapp
.gitignore		.gitignore
.gitmodules		.gitmodules
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
repo.json		repo.json
youtube.leanback.v4.manifest.json		youtube.leanback.v4.manifest.json

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YouTube webOS Cobalt AdFree

v1.2.1

Features

Requirements

Tested Cobalt baseline

Tested devices

Current compatibility baseline

Confirmed on earlier releases

Installation

Standard package

PJTR/k7lp compatibility package

Custom Homebrew Channel repository

Install via webOS Device Manager

Install via ares-cli

Install via SSH on rooted/Homebrew webOS

Patch an official YouTube IPK

k7lp/PJTR package

Standalone Cobalt launcher

Autostart

Build Cobalt

Development TV setup

Developer Mode App

Homebrew Channel / root access

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YouTube webOS Cobalt AdFree

v1.2.1

Features

Requirements

Tested Cobalt baseline

Tested devices

Current compatibility baseline

Confirmed on earlier releases

Installation

Standard package

PJTR/k7lp compatibility package

Custom Homebrew Channel repository

Install via webOS Device Manager

Install via ares-cli

Install via SSH on rooted/Homebrew webOS

Patch an official YouTube IPK

k7lp/PJTR package

Standalone Cobalt launcher

Autostart

Build Cobalt

Development TV setup

Developer Mode App

Homebrew Channel / root access

Project status

Credits

License

About

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