YouTube is rolling out an extensive set of features and design updates, tailored to improve the user experience for both viewers and content creators. These changes address various aspects of YouTube’s functionality:
- Better Audio Control: YouTube introduces “stable volume” on mobile devices, reducing abrupt changes in audio levels for a smoother viewing experience.
- 2x Playback Speed: Users can easily switch to 2x playback speed by pressing and holding anywhere on the video player, enhancing the flexibility of video consumption.
- Improved Seeking: Larger preview thumbnails make it easier to navigate within videos. Users can also return to their previous position by moving their finger to the starting point and lifting it, simplifying navigation.
- Lock Screen: Mobile and tablet users can now lock their screens to prevent accidental interruptions from screen taps.
- Unified “You Tab”: The Library and account pages have been merged into the “You Tab,” where users can access their watched videos, playlists, downloads, and purchases, along with account settings and channel information.
- Voice or Song Search: Users can search for songs by singing, humming, or playing a tune. This AI-driven feature matches the sound to the original recording.
- Visual Enhancements: YouTube adds animations and visual cues for creators’ requests to “like” or “subscribe.” Top comments automatically rotate, and view and like counts update in real time for 24 hours after video uploads.
- Smart TV Improvements: Enhanced navigation on Smart TVs provides quicker access to video details, descriptions, comments, subscribe buttons, and video chapters.
These updates aim to enhance user satisfaction, offer more interactive engagement for creators, and create a cleaner and modern design for various platforms. They are a response to feedback from the YouTube community, emphasizing YouTube’s commitment to continual improvement. These changes will be rolled out gradually to users worldwide over the coming weeks. Additionally, YouTube is planning to extend these modern design elements to other areas of the platform, such as the YouTube Kids app in the future.
