YouTube is getting a major update with a plethora of new functions and optimizations to its interface. On the program: better volume control, the possibility of locking the screen and even a kind of Shazam!
HAS the occasion of its 17e anniversary, last October, YouTube gave itself a makeover by improving its interface and adding an ambient mode and the possibility of zooming in videos (see our article). The famous – and essential – streaming video platform is back on track and announces in a blog post deploy from October 17, “three dozen” new functions and optimizations of the interface, both on computer, on mobile and on connected TV. This should please both users and content creators. This will perhaps also make it easier to overcome the platform’s new policy against ad blockers (see our article), as well as the increase in its Premium subscription.
YouTube: an optimized and more intuitive interface
One of the major changes concerns the merger of the “Library” and “Account” tabs, which will be grouped together in a new section called “You”, in the location of the old “Library” tab. There we will find previously watched videos, our playlists, downloads and purchases, as well as our account settings. Deployment begins now on web and mobile.
Connected TVs are also entitled to a big improvement. Now, the details of a video are displayed in the form of a new vertical window, for easier access to the description, comments, buttons and chapters. This menu is displayed by pressing the title of the video that is currently playing. Similar improvements are coming to web and mobile, including a cleaner-designed drop-down description section.
Content creators will also appreciate new features for interaction with their community, such as the visual animation on the “Subscribe” and “Like” buttons when the videographer invites to use it in their video. The most popular comments will also rotate to help find the best ones, while, for newly uploaded videos, a new animation will update the number of views and likes in real time for the first twenty-four hours , to show how many other users are interested in what they are watching.
YouTube: new features galore
The new YouTube update brings its share of new functions. On all devices, you can benefit from a new option activated by default, called “Stable volume” and located in the video playback settings. It offers better sound control by significantly reducing excessive volume differences during playback. Another improvement: the size of the preview thumbnail displayed when you move the video cursor has been increased so that we can more easily find the passage that interests us. A vibration also allows us to identify our starting point if we wish to return to where we were before our research. Practical !
For those in a hurry, the fast playback feature is improved to be easier to use. Now simply hold our finger anywhere on the screen when the video is playing to automatically switch it to x2 speed. A function similar to what we already find on TikTok. To avoid accidental interruptions when touching the screen, you can now lock it by going to the Video Settings to activate the option.
Finally, and this is undoubtedly the most interesting new feature, an AI-powered option will be deployed over the coming weeks so that you can search for a song, whether by playing a track, but also by singing or humming it. A bit like Shazam! Initially, only Android smartphones will be eligible.