YouTube for Android updated with app shortcuts, round icon

Google is now seeding a new update for its Android YouTube app, introducing quick shortcuts on devices running Android 7.1 Nougat, as well as a Pixel-style round icon on supported launchers.

There are three app shortcuts added in the update — “Trending”, “Subscriptions”, and “Search” — which may not be all that useful, but can still save you a few taps depending on how you use the app. The shortcuts are accessible by long-pressing the YouTube app and can also be placed on your homescreen. You can take advantage of the quick actions even on older versions of Android if you are running the latest version of Nova Launcher or another third-party launcher with support for the feature.

The update continues the trend of icon “roundification” for Google apps, introducing a circular icon for YouTube on Pixel phones and devices running Android 7.1 with support for round icons. Of course, you can can get the new icon on older devices as well by simply following our guide on how to get most Pixel-exclusive features on other Android phones.

A teardown of the new YouTube app by Android Police also reveals a couple of neat new features that may become available to all users further down the line. They include an option for quickly moving through videos via swiping left and right, instead of relying on the seek bar at the bottom, as well as double tap on the left/right portion of the screen to rewind/skip forward by increments of 10 seconds respectively.

source: APKMirror via AndroidPolice