… I don’t get it

Talk about exactly what you did to bypass it!

I’m not in any way de-Googled, but I’m an old person who just wants to watch the occasional youtube link without all of the extra bullshit, and newpipe is perfect for that. Not having subscriptions or being able to login to my Google account is absolutely a feature, not a bug.

Also, quick plug for NewPipe x SponsorBlock which can be added to F-Droid (I’ve since switched to Obtanium for it)