YouTube is no stranger to redesigns, but the next one might throw your muscle memory for a loop. The mobile app might get a brand new layout that removes the Subscriptions tab from the navigation bar, and I can’t say I’m a fan.
This evening I fired up YouTube to discover an updated UI that moved the Subscriptions bar from its usual spot in the bottom navigation bar to a new secondary menu below the app’s logo. In addition to the typical list of home page filters like “Music” and “New to you,” you’ll also find another “Home” tab next to the missing Subscriptions button, in addition to the one in the bottom navigation bar. Tapping on Subscriptions loads a typical list of content you’ve watched, though now there’s no specific location.
YouTube confirms it’s one of the latest experiences.
If you’re part of this experiment, you may notice a few layout changes in your Home and Subscriptions feed. In particular, we’re testing a change in the placement of the Subscriptions feed as part of the new, scrollable Subscriptions and Home feed tab experience, moving it from the bottom navigation bar to the top of the screen…
In my opinion, it’s a pretty awesome change, moving the icon I use most on YouTube to a place that’s harder to reach on today’s modern ultra-tall smartphones. What makes it worse is how little it adds to the experience. The Plus symbol you’ve probably been avoiding will earn its place with the “Create” tag – and it looks like it offer some kind of AI-based creation toolsmore than just the TikTok-esque camera shortcut available today – that’s it. I would argue that there is no real benefit to the end user in exchange for a pretty big change in priorities for the application.
The good news is: I don’t think It’s streaming in the near future, at least based on YouTube’s official comments. Although I cycled through several accounts (both Premium and non-Premium) to see if the UI would stick, it was only once I went back to my main profile that the app started acting weird. At launch, the new Home-hybrid-Subscriptions selector disappeared, leaving me with no option to access my Subscriptions at all. Closing and reopening the app restored the current sprawling UI and I haven’t been able to restore the new look since.
said that It’s the eve of Google I/Oso my gut feeling that it won’t be starting anytime soon could be proven embarrassingly wrong by mentioning it on stage tomorrow, even with the first test announcement – although that seems unlikely given how it is. focused I/O has been on Gemini and AI lately.
If you’re a first-time user of Subscriptions like me, be aware that this won’t become the default anytime soon. If you happen to be a part of this test group, make your feedback loud and clear – leave a comment below and let us know if you see it.
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