YouTube is experimenting with a new video player UI for Android

YouTube is one of the best Android apps for streaming videos. Because so many people use it, Google uses A/B testing to catch bugs before they become public and measure reactions to certain changes. Google is currently A/B testing a new video player UI for the Android YouTube app, but judging by the reaction we’ve seen online, not many people are fans.

Earlier today, Telegram tipster David Df sent me a message about the new video player UI he got for the YouTube app on Android. Comparing the UI shown in his screenshot to the UI you currently see in the YouTube app on your Android smartphone, it’s clear that Google is making major changes to the video player’s interface.

Here’s a comparison of the current and new video player UI for the YouTube app.

There are a lot of changes here, so I’ve compiled a list of the changes I found.

• The video title has been moved above the progress bar.
• Channel icon and subscriber count are now displayed next to the channel name.
• The number of views and publication date are now displayed below the title.
• The expand button has been moved to the top left. Next to it is a rotation button. A second playlist button has been added where the expand button was above the progress bar.
• The new UI in full screen mode seems to be missing forward/back buttons. However, it appears when you pause the video in portrait mode.
• Buttons like “Like,” “Dislike,” “Comment,” and “Share” have been moved above the progress bar on the right. Additionally, below the button, you will also see the number of people who have liked or commented on your post.
• The bookmark button is now hidden below the menu, but the remix button is now visible by default.
• A button to view video chapters has been added to the bottom left next to the second pause button.

The latest server-side YouTube update has some additional changes that are only apparent when you’re watching videos in a playlist. These include:

• You can now swipe up or down to move between videos in your playlist.
• You can swipe down to minimize a video only if it’s the first video in the playlist (or not in the playlist at all).

Here’s a short video explaining these new playlist gestures.

Google has been A/B testing this new video player UI with a select group of Android users for several weeks. Most members of Reddit’s YouTube community aren’t fans of the new UI, and users like DefinitionIcy4835 and Lumpy-Firefighter155 have made their dissatisfaction public. Personally, I think a denser UI like this makes more sense on devices with larger screens, such as TVs running Google TV. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below .