YouTube delivers millions of hours of content that can be accessed without paying anything, which is why it’s one of the most popular media streaming platforms. In order to stay competitive, the service has evolved over the years, in an attempt to reach new creators and expand its audience.
In doing so, the app has also taken different shapes, making changes here and there that are for better or worse. With that said, it looks like YouTube might be testing a new UI with its mobile experience, as spotted by the Android Authority. It’s unclear where this is something that’s going to stick around, but you can check your app to see if you have the new look.
Sometimes change is a good thing
As far the changes, the big one is that the creator’s YouTube channel logo is getting more recognition, with a larger logo that sits at the top of the description section directly under the video. In addition, it also looks like the video title is getting a bolder look, and the creator’s username is now being shown.
Although the channel name might be more recognizable, it’s important to be able to see the username, since you’ll easily be able to see whether the channel is legitimate. If you’ve ever searched for a channel on YouTube, you’ll know that there are tons of variants out there, which could be misleading to some.
In addition to the above, some elements of the UI have also been shifted, with the new design aligning the notifications and unsubscribe button to the far left, making it the first in line from a long list of options. YouTube Shorts have also received a small adjustment, with the icons getting a size reduction, making way for more of the video to be seen without any distractions.
This last change is getting mixed reactions from Reddit, if you scroll through the YouTube subreddit, you’ll see people chiming in on the new changes. For most, the icons are just too small, or look too refined — and many just want the older icons back. Again, this could just be a test, and we could see it all change again one morning.
