Image Credit: YouTube

Have you noticed the new layout for Shorts, Live videos, and longform videos? Presented in a new format, YouTube videos have been moved, and there’s new features in YouTube making playback better on all devices.

YouTube has been around for 17 years now, and in 2022 the platform has decided it is time to modernise the design. The result is a cleaner and sharper interface, at users’ request.

Among the changes, new interactive features improve playback on the app and the YouTube dark mode color is now darker.


New tools for interacting with YouTube videos

New features include pinch to zoom so you can zoom in on content in-app. On iOS or Android, users can now zoom in to videos using a pinching motion, and the video remains zoomed in for ease of use and so you can keep seeing every small detail.

And now when watching a YouTube video you can pull up for precise seeking. It lets you move a YouTube video frame by frame, with thumbnails at the foot of the screen to guide you, so you can rewind to watch a specific moment with ease.


Ambient mode

YouTube’s new feature Ambient mode uses “dynamic colour sampling” so the background colour of the YouTube app matches whatever video you’re watching.

Also, YouTube’s dark theme has been darkened further, so colours stand out better onscreen. YouTube says this was purposefully to make the viewing experience more like watching television. Playlists have the same colour scheme, too.



YouTube Channel redesign

YouTube Shorts haters are in luck. The new design update separates Shorts and traditional longform YouTube videos into different tabs on YouTube.

Those who complain that YouTube is not so much veering towards TikTok territory but haring desperately into it will enjoy the fact that you no longer have to interact with a channel’s Shorts if you have no wish to.


Chief Product Officer of YouTube Neal Mohan said: “When the first YouTube video was uploaded in 2005, YouTube had a search bar and a list of video tags on its homepage. Since then, you could say we’ve gone through some changes.”

“In this latest instalment of our Innovation series, we’re sharing a design update that will make YouTube more modern and bring new features to power the YouTube you know and love.”

The redesign follows the launch of @Handles on YouTube, allowing all users to claim a unique username. With a handle users can tag each other in comments and videos and easily find specific users to connect with.


Monetize your music on YouTube with RouteNote. We partner with YouTube to make sure artists get paid fairly for their tracks. Find out more here and sign up for free music distribution today!