YouTube is starting to roll out major visual changes for everybody

YouTube is at it again with an update that will shake up the look and feel of the platform. This announcement arrives shortly after we noticed the company testing out some UI changes to the mobile app earlier this month. These visual updates are coming to YouTube on the web, mobile app, and TV.

YouTube has announced that it is rolling out several updates to make the platform more immersive and intuitive. These changes will affect the video player and how you interact with content.

The first update is said to make the video player “cleaner and more immersive ” across devices. To accomplish this feat, YouTube is updating the controls and introducing new icons. These changes aim to make the experience “more visually satisfying while obscuring less content.”

Along with new icons and controls, YouTube is improving the “Seek” feature. This feature allows you to double-tap to skip through content. The company says it has updated the functionality to be “more modern and less intrusive.” Additionally, moving between tabs should feel more seamless on mobile.

On the interaction side, the blog mentions three points of focus:

• Custom likes: Certain videos will have custom like button animations. For example, you may see a music note animation when you like a music video.
• Saving videos: YouTube has refreshed the design to make adding a video to Watch Later or a playlist smoother and more visual.
• Threaded comments: YouTube comments are now structured in a way that’s easier to follow, similar to Reddit comments. This isn’t a new feature as threaded comments were rolled out for Android and iOS earlier this year.

According to the company, these updates will start rolling out widely this week. This is a global rollout, so everyone should eventually see these changes.