YouTube is trying on a new video player UI for Android

YouTube is one of, if not, the best Android apps for streaming videos. Because it’s used by so many people, Google uses A/B tests to catch bugs before they make their way to the general public, as well as gauge the reaction towards certain changes. Google is now A/B testing a new video player UI in the YouTube for Android app, and judging by the responses we’ve seen online, many people aren’t fans.

Earlier today, tipster David Df on Telegram sent me a message about a new video player UI that he got in the YouTube app on Android. After comparing the UI shown in his screenshots to the UI that I currently see in the YouTube app on my Android phones, it’s clear that Google is making some big changes to the video player’s interface.

Here’s a comparison between the current and new video player UI in the YouTube app:

There are a LOT of changes here, so I’ve compiled a list of the ones that I spotted:

• The video title has been moved to above the progress bar.
• The channel icon and subscriber count are now shown next to the channel name.
• The view count and published date are now shown below the title.
• The expand button has been moved to the top left. Next to it is a rotate button. A second playlist button has been added where the expand button used to be above the progress bar.
• It seems the forward/backward buttons are missing in the new UI in fullscreen mode. However, they appear if you pause the video while in portrait mode.
• The like, dislike, comment, share, and more buttons have been moved above the progress bar on the right side. Furthermore, you can also see how many people have liked and commented below the buttons.
• The bookmark button is now hidden under the menu, but the Remix button is now shown by default.
• A button to see the video chapters has been added to the bottom-left next to the second pause button.

The latest server-side YouTube update has some additional changes that are only apparent when you’re watching videos in a playlist. These include the following:

• You can now swipe up and down to move between videos in a playlist.
• You can only swipe down to minimize a video if it’s the first video in a playlist (or not part of a playlist at all).

Here’s a short video that demonstrates these new playlist gestures:

Google has been A/B testing this new video player UI with some Android users for several weeks now. Members of Reddit’s YouTube community are largely not fans of this new UI, and users like DefinitionIcy4835 and Lumpy-Firefighter155 have gone public with their dissatisfaction. Personally, I think a denser UI like this makes more sense on larger screen devices, such as TVs that run Google TV, but what do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!