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The original YIFY/YTS operation did shut down permanently—but not in 2026. Its closure happened in October 2015, after legal action in New Zealand and Canada. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) publicly announced the shutdown on November 3, 2015.
That distinction matters because websites still using the YTS or YIFY name appear from time to time. They should not automatically be treated as the original release group, company, or operator.
When did the original YIFY/YTS site shut down?
The original operation is recorded as having permanently shut down on October 30, 2015. The MPAA’s public announcement followed on November 3, 2015, describing court-ordered closures in Canada and New Zealand.
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According to the MPAA, the New Zealand case began on October 12, 2015, when it filed suit in the country’s High Court. The complaint alleged that the operator facilitated and encouraged large-scale copyright infringement. An interim injunction required the operator to close YTS and stop operating or promoting it.
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The MPAA described YTS as both a BitTorrent website and a release group, and said it was the home of YIFY. It attributed roughly 4,500 infringing movie titles to the site’s library.
How large was YTS at the time?
YTS was not a minor torrent index when it disappeared. The MPAA reported more than 3.4 million unique visitors in August 2015 and a global Alexa rank of 584. Those figures help explain why the shutdown received broad attention: the service had become one of the best-known names associated with compact movie torrents.
Its popularity also came from a recognisable release style. YIFY releases were widely known for making movie files smaller than many competing releases, although reducing file size involved trade-offs in bitrate and picture quality. That format helped the brand spread well beyond the original website.
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Timeline of the original shutdown
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2014 | The historical YIFY operation went through a transition and rebranding associated with the YTS name. |
| October 12, 2015 | The MPAA filed a case in New Zealand’s High Court against the operator. |
| October 30, 2015 | The original YIFY/YTS site is recorded as permanently shut down. |
| November 3, 2015 | The MPAA announced the shutdown and referred to court orders in Canada and New Zealand. |
Sources: MPAA announcement and the historical YIFY record.
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Are websites using the YTS name still online?
Some websites currently use YTS or YIFY branding, but their existence does not prove continuity with the 2015 operation. After the original shutdown, later sites and imitators reused the name. The historical record therefore needs to be separated from claims made by current operators.
A YTS-branded status page currently claims that several domains are operational, including YTS.GG, YTS.BZ, YTS.LT, and YTS.AM. It labels YTS.BZ as the “Current official domain.” Those are claims made by an operator-affiliated status page, not independent confirmation that the domains are controlled by the original YIFY team.
The same page publishes a Tor onion address and says that it can be accessed only through Tor Browser. Publishing an address confirms only that the status page lists it; it does not establish ownership, authenticity, legality, or safety.
Is YTS.MX the official domain?
That commonly repeated claim is not supported by the current status page reviewed for this article. Its listed domains are YTS.BZ, YTS.GG, YTS.LT, and YTS.AM; it does not list YTS.MX.
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Domain lists can change quickly, and a listing alone is not proof of legitimacy. Users should be especially cautious with mirror and proxy pages that copy the YTS name, request browser extensions, redirect through aggressive advertising, or ask for personal, payment, or cryptocurrency information.
Did the founder simply retire?
That explanation is too simple. The historical account includes a 2014 transition and rebranding, followed by the permanent shutdown in 2015. It does not support the idea that the original service merely took a voluntary retirement and then continued unchanged under new domains.
Nor should every later YTS-branded site be described as the original company or release group. The safest wording is that the original YIFY/YTS operation ended in 2015 and that later services reused or imitated its branding.
Has YTS/YIFY shut down again in 2026?
No independently verified 2026 shutdown announcement was found in the material reviewed. Current reports and status claims instead concern domain changes, outages, proxies, and websites using the YTS/YIFY name.
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Consequently, the headline “YTS/YIFY has just shut down forever” is inaccurate if it is presented as breaking 2026 news. It is historically accurate only when referring to the original operation that closed in 2015.
What should users do with old YTS links?
- Do not assume the branding proves continuity. A familiar logo, file naming pattern, or domain suffix is not evidence that a site is operated by the original team.
- Do not install software offered by a mirror. Torrent pages and proxies may use fake download buttons, malicious browser extensions, or bundled installers.
- Avoid entering sensitive information. There is no legitimate reason for a movie-download page to require your email password, banking details, or cryptocurrency payment to “unlock” content.
- Use legal services for films. Check legitimate streaming, rental, purchase, library, or broadcaster platforms available in your country.
- Remove suspicious downloads. If an old link caused a download, scan the file with reputable security software before opening it, and delete it if its source or contents are unclear.
The practical conclusion
The original YIFY/YTS operation belongs to internet history. It closed in late October 2015 following legal action, and the MPAA announced the shutdown on November 3 of that year. What exists today under similar names should be treated as a separate and unverified successor ecosystem unless independently documented otherwise.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
When did the original YIFY/YTS site close?
The original operation is recorded as permanently shut down on October 30, 2015. The MPAA publicly announced the shutdown on November 3, 2015.
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The shutdown followed legal action by the MPAA, including a New Zealand High Court case alleging that the operator facilitated and encouraged large-scale copyright infringement. An interim injunction ordered the operator to close YTS and stop operating or promoting it.
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Is YTS still online today?
Websites using the YTS or YIFY name may still appear, and a YTS-branded status page claims that several domains are operational. That does not prove that they are operated by the original 2015 team or that they are safe.
Is YTS.MX the official YTS domain?
The current status page reviewed does not list YTS.MX. It lists YTS.BZ, YTS.GG, YTS.LT, and YTS.AM, while identifying YTS.BZ as its claimed current official domain. This is an operator-affiliated claim, not independent verification.
Did YTS shut down forever in 2026?
There is no independently verified 2026 shutdown announcement in the evidence reviewed. The phrase is accurate for the original operation’s 2015 closure, but unsupported as a current-news claim.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: the original YIFY/YTS operation shut down in 2015, not 2026. Later sites using the name are not automatically connected to the original operator, and domain or status-page claims should not be mistaken for independent verification.
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