YouTube is testing the worst change ever in its Android app

YouTube is testing the worst change ever in its Android app

YouTube on smartphone stock photo 15

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • Users have spotted a gesture change in the YouTube app for Android devices.
  • Instead of exiting a fullscreen video, the swipe-down gesture now plays the next video, emulating the behavior we see for YouTube Shorts but on the video player for long-form videos.
  • While it brings consistency to the video player behavior, this change breaks muscle memory and does not appreciate the difference in consumption and intent between short-form and long-form videos.

We have a love-hate relationship with YouTube these days. YouTube is undoubtedly the best video streaming service out there, but the platform’s push towards a better monetization strategy with more ads and higher YouTube Premium prices continues to irk many users. If you made your peace with recent changes to YouTube, there’s probably another one coming your way that you might hate, as the app could introduce scrolling gestures for long-form videos.

Tushar Mehta on X (formerly known as Twitter) spotted that YouTube on Android has introduced a scroll gesture for the fullscreen video player for long-form videos.