Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube TV is reportedly getting a new mini-player on the Android app.
- The design docks a floating PiP mini-player at the bottom of the app’s screen.
- The mini-player matches the controversial one that Google adopted for the main YouTube app earlier this year.
YouTube TV for Android is borrowing the controversial picture-in-picture mini-player from the main YouTube app. Previously, the mini-player was docked at the bottom of the app, just like the primary YouTube app, which is now switching back to the old-school design.
9to5Google reports that the new PiP-style YouTube TV mini-player is now available with version 8.47.0 of the Android app. The mini-player features a play/pause button, 15-second rewind and forward buttons, and a button to close the window. Users can pinch to zoom the window.
It’s strange that Google would adopt this new mini-player for YouTube TV after the backlash it faced for a similar mini-player change it previously made on the YouTube app. In July, Google rolled out a floating picture-in-picture (PiP) mini-player in the YouTube app. While some users didn’t mind the new design, there were many who disliked it and reported that it was full of glitches.
Last month, users noticed that YouTube is returning to its original design, with the stationary mini-player docked just above the app’s bottom bar. Many expressed relief over this revert and welcomed the return of the old mini-player.
Here’s hoping that YouTube TV’s new mini-player design is less glitchy and easier to use than what we got with the YouTube app.
