YouTube experiments with new way to browse videos in fullscreen
What's the story
YouTube is reportedly testing a new feature that alters the behavior of the swipe-down gesture in fullscreen mode.
Currently, swiping up on a video in the mobile app takes you to fullscreen mode, and swiping down exits it. Scrolling up in fullscreen shows suggested videos.
With the new change, swiping up will directly take you to a new video, similar to TikTok or Instagram. Swiping down will switch to the previous video instead of exiting the fullscreen mode.
Navigation shift
New UI will take some getting used to
To exit fullscreen mode with this new system, users would have to either swipe down until they reach the first video or click on a button on right corner of their screen.
This change could disrupt user habits accustomed to swiping down to exit fullscreen.
Accidentally swiping and being taken to a new video could also lead to user frustration.
Engagement strategy
Feature aims to increase user engagement
YouTube may be aiming to increase user engagement by encouraging viewers to discover and watch more content through continuous video playback.
This change could pave the way for a more TikTok/Shorts-like viewing experience within the traditional video platform.
Increased engagement and video viewing duration could ultimately translate to increased advertising revenue for YouTube.
Feedback importance
User feedback will determine feature's future
The future of this new feature would largely depend on user feedback. If the response is mostly negative, YouTube may ditch it.
However, there's also a possibility that the platform could go ahead with its implementation, no matter what users think.
As of now, the feature appears to be in its testing phase as it hasn't been replicated on all devices yet.