YouTube redesigns UI, adds tunable playback speed in mini-player

Video sharing platform YouTube introduced a slew of UI redesigns and updates across its mobile, web and TV apps.  
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Video sharing platform YouTube introduced a slew of UI redesigns and updates across its mobile, web and TV apps.

The visual improvements include a subtle frosted glass effect, tweaks to the bottom bar, a new landscape mode, fine-tunable playback speed and more

Improved miniplayer and customise thumbnails

YouTube updated its mini player which will now allow users to resize and move the miniplayer in the YouTube mobile app.

In miniplayer, the video will continue to play as users navigate around the site. Users can also pause, play, and seek through videos without leaving the Miniplayer.

Additionally, users can click another video’s thumbnail with the Miniplayer up while browsing on Home, that video will load and play directly in the Miniplayer.

Users can also customise thumbnails for playlists using their own photos or create ones with generative AI. Users can choose an image from your camera roll, and personalize it with text, filters, or stickers. To generate a thumbnail with AI, tap “Create with AI,” pick a theme, and choose from the AI-powered creations.

Sleep Timer

Users can now also set a timer to automatically pause videos after a certain duration of time.

The feature, YouTube says, was tested with Premium members earlier this year to rave reviews. And it will be made available for to all users on YouTube across mobile devices.

YouTube Music updates

YouTube Music is also getting UI updates which include improved landscape mode with larger thumbnails, and bigger texts.

On television, YouTube says “subtle touches give everything a more cinematic feel.” These include immersive channel pages will auto-play a Creator-selected video to provide a teaser and let you easily play the full video. YouTube for television also gets a new Shorts player that will let users read comments or browse the shop without interruptions.