YouTube has announced a series of changes to the Shorts player that should make it easier to watch short videos.
The biggest novelty is the Clear Screen mode, which temporarily removes all icons and text from the screen during playback. The goal of this option is to allow users to fully focus on the display of content, without controls and other interface elements covering the video.
The new option will be available in the additional menu in the upper right corner of the Shorts player. When activated, only the video remains on the screen, which could be especially useful for content with a lot of detail or text embedded in the video itself.
YouTube Shorts just got easier to watch
YouTube is also introducing the ability to play Shorts at double speed. The company says that support for 2x playback has been one of the most requested features among users of the Shorts platform.
Mute is also simplified. The user first needs to tap the screen to pause the video and then select the mute icon.
YouTubeAt the same time, YouTube is also changing the way it reacts to Shorts content. The classic thumbs up icon has been replaced with a heart, which, according to the company, should be a more meaningful way for users to show that they really like a particular video.
The bigger change is about removal dislike button from the Shorts player. Instead, users will be offered the options “Do not recommend this channel” and “I’m not interested” in the additional menu.
The goal is for the user to explain more precisely why he does not want to see certain content. With the “I’m not interested” option, it is possible to give reasons such as the video being irrelevant, boring, or simply not suited to personal interests.
YouTube explains that dislikes did not provide clear enough feedback, as they could mean anything from poor sound quality to simply not liking a particular topic.
More precise options should help the platform better understand the user’s choices and adjust Shorts recommendations accordingly.
New features and changes to the YouTube Shorts player are rolling out to users starting today.