YouTube, the video sharing platform owned by Google, has announced that it is rolling out a refreshed design along with a wide rollout of features that were previously reported to be in beta. beta test. The service’s announcement comes months after it celebrates its 17th anniversary. The dark theme has also been updated to be even darker, according to Google. YouTube links in video descriptions have been changed to buttons, and action buttons like like, share and download, have been redesigned to minimize distractions, according to the company. Meanwhile, precise video search and pinch-to-zoom features have also been included in the platform.
According to the company blog post, YouTube will use dynamic color sampling to create a subtle effect on the background of the app, which will adjust to match the color of the video the user is playing. The service says it’s inspired by “darkroom displays” that allow “more focus” to introduce a dark theme ambient mode. The dark theme has also been updated to be even darker to provide better focusability by making the colors in the video “really pop”. It will launch on the Web, mobile phones and smart TVs.
YouTube links in video descriptions will now show up as buttons. Meanwhile, the like, share, and download buttons have been formatted and reshaped to minimize distractions. The subscribe button on YouTube’s video player has also received a change giving it a new shape and high contrast while also losing the previously seen red color. Button changes were introduced to increase accessibility on watch pages and channels, according to Google.
The service has also introduced a pinch-to-zoom feature on iOS and Android device, allowing users to zoom in and out of a video through a pinch gesture.
Precision search has also been introduced to the platform, as part of an improved playback experience, on desktop and mobile. This feature will allow users to drag or swipe up to access a row of scrollable thumbnails while trying to navigate through the video. Exact search will allow the user to make fine adjustments in selecting the exact frame the user wants to navigate to.
YouTube’s refreshed look and new features are rolling out to users globally, starting today.
