Google is changing how YouTube previews and links look inside conversations on the Google Messages app. It used to be that, when you sent another Android user that you are chatting with, a link to a YouTube video you think they might be interested in viewing, the URL of the video would appear at the top followed by a preview of the video followed by the title of the page, a description of the video, and the YouTube domain name.
The URL of a YouTube video being shared in Google Messages without text will now disappear in most situations
With the change, if there is only the link to a YouTube video in the conversation, the URL on top will disappear. The preview image from the video is a bit taller. The background of the bottom section is lighter and stands out more, and the text is larger. If you include some comment with the link to the YouTube video, all of the changes are still there except the URL and link are not removed. You can see what the changes look like in the screenshots we've embedded in this story.
No URL, just a preview and bottom segment when you send a YouTube link to another Android user via Google Messages. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Removing the URL is going to be controversial and there will be many who will be very upset with this change. However, it does give the link a streamlined look. To reiterate, if you include a comment when sharing the link, the URL will remain on top of the preview of the video. If you prefer to see the URL and not the preview, you can open the Google Messages app and tap on the profile icon in the upper right corner. Go to Messages Settings > Automatic previews and disable Show all previews or Show only web link previews.
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Include a comment with the link and the URL returns on top. | Inmage credit-PhoneArena
The new look has already appeared on my Pixel 6 Pro
Tapping on the YouTube link opens the video in Google Messages' picture-in-picture player. If you disable the PiP option, the video will appear full screen in the Messages app. In other words, there is no way to have the video open up in the YouTube app from Google Messages with the new look. You'll find this new link preview in Google Messages beta version 20251121_00_RC01. The new look has shown up in my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.2.
Disable previews from the Messages Settings and this is what a YouTube link will look like. | Image credit-PhoneArena
You might not have Google Messages on your Android phone; for example, you might use Samsung Messages, WhatsApp, or another third-party app. If that is the case, you can install the Google Messages app from the Google Play Store by tapping on this link.
This could be why Android users are not happy about Google dropping the URL
Why would dropping the URL from the link upset Android users? It can't be because Android users don't like change. You can't use the most customizable mobile operating system without being open to making changes. No, the reason is quite easy to explain. The URL included a link to the YouTube page of the linked video. So the old way the link appeared in the Google Messages app, it came with the URL, which, when tapped, took you right to the YouTube app from where you could view the video.
Does Google dropping the URL on a YouTube link shared via Google Messages bother you?
Yes, it does. I like having the URL there at the top.
100%
No, losing the URL doesn't bother me.
0%
With the new look, as we already noted, you cannot watch the linked video except through Google Messages' picture-in-picture tool. But this begs the question, why is it so important to view a linked YouTube video via the YouTube app instead of the PiP player? Once again, I believe I have the answer. When you watch a video from the PiP player, it opens very small and you have to tap the box in the middle to get it to full-size. Turn the screen to landscape to make it even larger.
When the video opens from the YouTube app, it opens in full-size (albeit in portrait mode) and you can turn the phone to put it into landscape. This saves you a step from having the video open in PiP. As strange as that sounds, it could be that extra step that makes Android users unhappy about losing the URL with the new look. Perhaps Android users receiving a link to a YouTube video would prefer not to have to take an extra step to view the content in full-size.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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