YouTube is undergoing a “minor makeover,” with a number of new features and design changes aimed at improving the experience of watching videos on the platform.
The company said in a blog post published Monday that it is adding new tools inspired by feedback from its YouTube creator community and viewers.
As mentioned in the Youtube blog “YouTube celebrated its 17th birthday earlier this year, and we wondered if it was time for a minor facelift. So we solicited feedback from thousands of viewers worldwide and discovered a desire for a cleaner, more lively design that better represents what we’re all about.”
The first thing users may notice are colour changes designed to make watching videos easier on the eyes. Aside from new vibrant colours, an ambient mode will allow the app to match the background colour to the video. The dark theme on YouTube has been updated to make colours pop more on screen.
Meanwhile, a new tool will allow users to fast forward or rewind to any point in a video, which could be useful when watching a tutorial. Other changes include a pinch-to-zoom tool that allows users to zoom in and out of a video on mobile devices while it is still playing, as well as a few video player tweaks.
YouTube links in video descriptions, for example, will be converted into buttons, and the ability to share and download videos will be “formatted to minimise distractions.” The subscribe button will also change: it will no longer be red, but it will be easier to find on the channel and video pages, thanks to a new shape and high contrast, according to YouTube.
