YouTube has redesigned its video player to offer a “more enjoyable and engaging experience,” one that’s smoother, more immersive, and easier to interact with.
The video player has been updated to be “cleaner and more immersive,” with the goal of obscuring videos less; a change that also affects buttons and icons and has been applied to YouTube’s web, mobile, and TV versions.
The experience has become more fluid, which the company says can be seen in switching between tabs and in the search function, which is now less intrusive by allowing you to skip it with a double-tap.
The redesign also seeks to boost engagement with custom designs for the Like button, a simplified process for saving videos to watch later, and a threading system for following conversations.
“We’re aligning the energy of our content and the look and feel of our interface to make your experience more enjoyable and engaging,” said Rob, a member of the YouTube team, in the announcement on the help page.
This change to the player design began rolling out globally this week.
