YouTube is rolling out a fresh set of changes to its Shorts player, aimed at giving viewers more control over how they watch and interact with short-form videos. The update brings a distraction-free viewing mode, new playback controls, and a revamp of how people can fine-tune their video feed.
The changes come after years of feedback from the Shorts community since the format launched over five years ago, and mark one of the more noticeable shifts to the viewing experience that the platform has introduced so far.
Why Is YouTube Introducing A Clear Screen Mode For Shorts?
According to YouTube, the changes are based on direct feedback from viewers. The company said, "We're introducing a new Clear Screen mode that temporarily hides all icons and text from your playback view. This strips away the clutter, giving you an immersive, distraction-free view of the content."
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Alongside this, playback speed control is being added so viewers can double the speed of a Short, a feature YouTube says has been among the most requested by its community.
There's also a new way to mute videos by tapping the screen to pause and then tapping the mute icon, along with the option to set a Shorts timer, including turning it off entirely by setting it to zero.
How Will The New Heart And Not Interested Buttons Change The Shorts Feed?
YouTube is also changing how people react to and curate their feed. The thumbs-up button is being replaced with a heart icon, which the company describes as a more meaningful way to show when a video resonates with someone.
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At the same time, the dislike button is being phased out. YouTube explained that a dislike "could mean anything from poor audio quality to simply not my cup of tea," which made it difficult to understand what viewers actually meant. In its place, the platform will lean on the existing "Not Interested" and "Don't recommend this channel" options to better understand viewer preferences and adjust recommendations accordingly.
Viewers can still report a video if they believe it breaks Community Guidelines, regardless of these changes. YouTube said the updates will roll out over time rather than all at once, so not everyone will see them immediately.