YouTube has launched a significant redesign of its video player for both Android and iOS devices, marking its largest update in years. Released with version 20.42, the update presents a more user-friendly interface with larger, rounded icons and a streamlined design that follows Google’s modern aesthetic.
Design Enhancements
The new design features a circle-encased, slightly larger landscape mode button. Unlike the previous format, the dimmed background when pausing is removed, allowing thumbnails and video details to remain visible. Animations for skipping forward and rewinding have also been smoothed to reduce abrupt transitions.
Improved User Interface
Main controls, including thumbs up, thumbs down, comments, save, and share, are now unified in a rounded container at the screen's bottom-left in landscape mode. Additionally, YouTube has introduced dynamic "like" animations that change based on the video type and a new threaded comment design to make discussions easier to follow.
This update is being rolled out globally for Android and iOS, but it may arrive gradually. Users might expedite the update by restarting the app. This redesign aims to minimize interface obtrusiveness and enhance the visibility of videos, aligning with Google's goal for a more pleasant viewing experience.
