Google testing new mobile YouTube card UI

posted by Michael H. / Feb 10, 2014, 9:47 PM

Google testing new mobile YouTube card UI

Google has made it clear that it isn't going to spend resources on building official apps for what it considers to be minor mobile platforms, which right now means anything other than Android or iOS. Instead, Google puts its efforts into the mobile web versions of its products which would theoretically run on any capable HTML5 browser on any platform. And, it looks like Google is working on the mobile YouTube UI.

As you would expect when you hear that Google is working on a UI update for one of its products, that means bringing in the soon-to-be ubiquitous card UI that Google has been adopting. The card-based UI is obviously the influence of Matias Duarte, who has previously used a card UI when he designed webOS, and now it is coming to the mobile YouTube website (and perhaps the standard YouTube website as well). If you've used the YouTube app on Android or iOS recently, the website is looking very similar.

The content will be split up into cards, so you'll have the video and info as one card, a suggested videos card below that, and the comments card at the bottom of the page. Additionally, the video thumbnails are a bit bigger, which just makes the whole layout nicer. The hamburger menu on the left side is also getting a bit of a redesign to make it easier to get at your channels rather than taking up most of the menu with the "Best of YouTube" channels.

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source: +Nedas Petravičius via Android Police

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27 Comments

1. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

Hmmmmmm

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:52 PM 0

2. arenanew

Posts: 286; Member since: Dec 30, 2013

how poor google rely on you tube ha ha begaar advetising agency

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:52 PM 0

3. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

ummm, what do you mean - youtube does very well - it has a ton of info and is of the most widely used apps in the world....

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:53 PM 15

4. hurrycanger

Posts: 1775; Member since: Dec 01, 2013

Don't ask. He's drunk. xD

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:04 PM 13

6. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

YouTube is amazing, dude... What are you talking about?

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:24 PM 2

5. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

LOL... One day soon Google will support WP... Its just so funny thinking how right now they don't... We'll see..

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:23 PM 2

8. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

especially considering without windows to rack in those ads, they would be nothing

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:47 PM 1

12. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Most of Google's services work on Windows... Most of Google's services were literally developed either on Windows, or Linux.. Weird that Google is hesitant towards WP... I suspect that Google will have no choice but to develop for W8 because with W8 running on over 95% of new PC's it's immanent that W8 will have huge market share...

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:17 PM 0

14. hurrycanger

Posts: 1775; Member since: Dec 01, 2013

Most people use Windows, so yeah, Google gotta reach them to make money. ;) Google doesn't like Microsoft now, right? It wouldn't hurt Google much for not developing stuff for WP8 either cuz the audience is still very small relatively. Once WP8 gets popular (let's say 20-30% marketshare?), I dare Google to not support WP. This is just adding to your point.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:39 PM 0

15. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Yep..

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:51 PM 0

10. XperiaOptimusOne unregistered

Yeah, It's a bummer when YouTube didn't work out in WP the first time.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:02 PM 1

11. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Nevertheless,, I use Metrotube on WP8, and W8, and it works amazingly.. It may even be better than the official YouTube app.... Informed WP users aren't missing out on YouTube at all..

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:11 PM 1

13. hurrycanger

Posts: 1775; Member since: Dec 01, 2013

It's not that good. I have trouble playing videos in Metrotube a lot of times. It varies from channels to channels. A lot of times it happens to some official music channels I follow. I tap the video, it shows loading, then it gets back out. It's been happening since last summer when I first got my Lumia 521. :\ Another flaw is that when you go to a channel then swipe to Playlists, it doesn't show all playlists. I guess it's supposed to load more when you scroll down, but it doesn't. For the 2 months I used that phone as my daily driver, that bugged me so much -_-

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:25 PM 4

18. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

I've used it on my Samsung Focus, 920, and now my 1520, and the only time I've seen any issues with it is when Google switches up the API, which is always quickly updated... Other than that it works great for me... I'm in the US Though. I wonder if that has anything to do with it...

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 7:21 AM 0

26. hurrycanger

Posts: 1775; Member since: Dec 01, 2013

I believe not, because I'm in the US, too. :\ Since you said it'd almost always issue free on your devices, I guess either it has something to do with hardware incompatibility on the Lumia 521 or it's because those channels I talked about are Japanese channels (but then really... an app shouldn't be racist... xD)

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 4:33 PM 0

16. Liveitup

Posts: 1798; Member since: Jan 07, 2014

Mytube is also awesome, really love Metrotube but I think I may love Mytube a bit more.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:52 PM 1

19. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

I hear a lot of people say that as well... Either way, there are some great, fully functional, YouTube apps for WP utilizing the perfect modern WP design language.

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 7:23 AM 0

7. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Looks like whoever took the screenshots loves browsing in Incognito Mode.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:34 PM 1

21. g2a5b0e unregistered

I don't see where you're getting that, Smurf. Are you referring to the icon in the top left of some of the screenshots? If so, that's the "screenshot taken" icon.

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 9:24 AM 0

22. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Look at the color in which Chrome is running on. Blue = Incognito Mode. http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2ymuknr&s=8#.UvpHsp_nbqA

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 9:54 AM 0

24. g2a5b0e unregistered

I think that might be our problem. I don't think that's Chrome. I'm pretty sure it's Samsung's default browser. The blue is always there. I don't roll incognito & I use Samsung's default browser. That blue bar is always there for me.

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 10:29 AM 0

27. AntiFanBoyz unregistered

g2, Smurf is right. That's Chrome in incognito mode. Samsung browser has the bookmark icon on the right and the tab switcher icon is wider.

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 8:49 PM 0

9. Carlitos

Posts: 684; Member since: Oct 23, 2011

Hmmm no those are rectangles with a flat design. So we all know where that came from_- if google had been working on this new design for 3+ years I would understand, but, that's not the case. So as a result of this other Android oems are following suit with the card like UI. #sarcasmeverywhere.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:52 PM 1

17. bogdancirstea

Posts: 13; Member since: Nov 19, 2012

i only want one thing from the YouTube Android App: that music plays in the background

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 6:46 AM 0

20. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Wow. Music doesn't play in the background? Why?

posted on Feb 11, 2014, 7:25 AM 0

23. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

It does if you run it on the mobile site, but not the official YouTube app. Google is prepping that feature for a future build for both Android and iOS.