- YouTube is rolling out a new video player with rounded buttons and a translucent design.
- The platform is also launching an animated Like button, a smoother experience for the mobile app, and threaded replies in comments.
- All these changes are already rolling out for everyone globally starting October 13.
YouTube has been testing a new UI for its video player since the beginning of this year, which was available to limited users. But now the company has officially announced that the new video player with an updated design is rolling out globally, along with other improvements on YouTube.
YouTube’s New Video Player Gets a Sleeker, Modern Overhaul
The new video player features rounded buttons for Like, Dislike, Comments, Captions, and Settings. Moreover, it carries a translucent design, but it is nowhere near as intense as Apple’s Liquid Glass. I have spotted this new look several times throughout the year. Now, it’s broadly rolling out from October 13.
YouTube also mentioned in its announcement that other features, like double-tap to seek, will be “more modern and less intrusive to your video watching experience.” Switching tabs on YouTube’s mobile app will also feel smoother, and liking a video will trigger a dynamic animation based on the content. Clicking Like on a music video will play an animated musical note.
The comments section is also getting a makeover with threaded replies, similar to Reddit. According to YouTube, “This threading system is designed to provide a more focused reading experience within the replies panel.” I have had the new comment design on my smartphone for some time now, and have been liking it better than the older version.
These new changes on YouTube should make the video watching experience more pleasant and make it better to navigate through various UI elements. The platform has already been making changes on the creator side of things with AI features in YouTube Shorts, and language auto dub. So it was about time that it offered something for the viewers, too.
