YouTube rolling out an updated look and new features

YouTube has announced an updated look and several features, including precise seeking, pinch-to-zoom, and ambient mode, to deliver a more modern and enhanced viewing experience to users. The company has started rolling out these features and will be available to all users in the coming weeks.

YouTube is bringing a new ambient mode that uses dynamic color sampling, so the app background color adapts to match the video the user is watching. ” We were inspired by the light that screens cast out in a darkened room and wanted to recreate the effect, so viewers were drawn right into the content, and the video takes an even greater focus on our watch page,” the company said in a blog post. This feature is rolling out to the YouTube web and mobile apps in dark mode.

The video playlist will also adopt the same color scheme and show more details about each playlist. Further, the company has updated the dark theme to make it even darker so that the users watching YouTube on mobile, Smart TV, or the Web can enjoy content with minimal distractions. YouTube has also updated the design of the like, share, and download buttons, and links in the video description will change to buttons. The subscribe button is no longer red but comes with a new shape and high-contrast color for easier visibility.

Android and iOS users on the YouTube app can use a new pinch-to-zoom feature to zoom in and out of a video. Lastly, the company has introduced a precise seeking feature that allows users to find the exact location of the video by dragging or swiping up while seeking to show a row of thumbnails in the video player.