YouTube is introducing some changes to the interface for its mobile app. The changes affect only the full-screen video player mode, while the portrait mode stays the same.
Anyone who has ever watched anything on the YouTube app knows that, unlike the portrait mode, the full-screen mode does not make reacting to the video easy. The new UI brings some significant improvements that will make the YouTube mobile app more interaction-friendly.
The New And Improved Video Player
The changes in question should make liking or disliking a video, seeing the comments, and sharing the video you are watching a lot easier. All the interactive buttons are now grouped in one place and can easily be accessed while the user is watching a video in full-screen or landscape mode. Like and dislike button, the share button, the comment button, and the save button are now located in the bottom left corner of the video player, right underneath the timeline. While these features are not new per se, in the old interface the users had to swipe up to get the buttons to appear so the redesign does come as an improvement.
Additionally, there is now the option to view the live chat, cast the video onto another screen, access subtitles, and open the playback settings located in the top right corner. Until now, the user needed to tap the comment section from the portrait mode to open it, and then switch to full-screen mode. Now, you can simply tap on the feedback button and see the comments, which, we’re sure you’ll agree, is much more convenient.
The redesign is aimed at significantly improving the user experience and we think it hits the target as it offers a cleaner look with enhanced functionality. The changes are subtle but they make the app more user-friendly overall.
No changes have been noticed in the portrait mode though and many Andriod and iOS users still have the old interface on their YouTube app as the changes are still rolling out.
Learn more at Theverge.com.
