You might notice something different about YouTube today – don't worry, you're not alone
The question is, do you like it?


Quick Summary
Google has rolled out a new design to YouTube, which you may or may not love.
The updated interface has been applied to all platforms of the video service.
If you’re someone who regularly watches videos online, there’s a fairly good chance you’re a regular user of YouTube. We say fairly good chance, but to be honest, it’s probably almost inevitable.
If you’re also someone who doesn’t like change, it may not be your favourite week to date. Following months of testing, Google has pushed out an update to its popular video player that might have you divided.
The update affects all platforms for watching YouTube, from desktop and TV to phone and tablet so if you haven’t come across it yet, it’s probably because you haven’t watched any videos rather than because your watching on a device that hasn’t got the new look.
What’s the deal with the new YouTube?
As spotted by 9to5Google, the new design is a big change from what you might have been used to before. On desktop, the playback controls are rather large, which will no doubt divide opinion.
The new interface also features semi-translucent button borders that are arguably more difficult to see than previously, while the opaque white buttons take up quite a bit of space. That’s again on desktop though, while on mobile and TVs, there seems to be a slightly better experience.
It will of course depend on your preference and design is subjective so you may love this new look or you may really hate it. Either way, you’re stuck with it.
What’s interesting is that it’s another interface to use translucent icons, with Apple recently adopting this with its latest software updates across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Its Liquid Glass interface is designed to mimic layers of glass and it too has translucent icons and menus overlaid on top of content.
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The new YouTube design is available across devices now so if you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you’re running the latest version of the video platform across your devices and it won’t be long before you do.
Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.
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