The YouTube app on iPhone and Android is getting a makeover that's focused on making it easier to like/dislike, share and read comments without exiting fullscreen view.
The new-look YouTube app is slowly rolling out now, but isn't widely available just yet. And even once your app updates you might not instantly notice any changes, as the fundamental aspect of the UI have remained the same. However, once you start watching videos in fullscreen view you’ll likely spot what’s new.
For a start, you can now like or dislike a video with a single button press while watching in fullscreen mode. Previously, accessing the like/dislike buttons required you to swipe up and locate them underneath the “More Videos” section or switch to portrait view. However, this upgrade places them directly below the video progress bar.
Accessing comments has also been made much easier. Next to the like/dislike buttons is a new comment icon. Press this and the comment section will appear on the right-hand side of the video. This enables you to both watch and type at the same time.
It was previously possible to get this side-by-side view in the older version of the app but it required you to open comments in portrait mode first, before switching to landscape view. With this visual update, you can access comments at any time regardless of orientation.
Another small tweak to the YouTube mobile app added in this update is the rearrangement of the “More Videos” section. As mentioned, this was previously accessed by slowly swiping up; now it appears when you tap a small window in the bottom-left corner that is conveniently labeled “More Videos.”
None of these changes are especially groundbreaking, but they’re all useful improvements to the overall user experience of the YouTube mobile app. The new-look YouTube has been rolling out since Monday, so expect these changes to appear on your iOS or Android device very soon.
