YouTube Shorts gets much needed changes
You've asked for years for Google to clean up the YouTube Shorts UI and now your wish has been granted.
YouTube Shorts gets much needed changes | Image by PhoneArena
Google has made some changes to YouTube Shorts in an attempt to make these short-form videos more useful and easier to view. On the top of most critics' lists is the clutter on the display caused by the buttons, captions, profile icons, and other elements, placed on the screen. This has apparently been addressed with a new feature called "Clear Screen mode."
Clear Screen mode will make many YouTube Shorts users very happy
You can probably guess what this new addition does. By hiding the user interface, this mode will allow users to view the entire display without being blocked by the icons and text on the screen. Another new feature that will be welcomed is one that doubles the speed of the video. This will allow you to zip through certain YouTube Shorts in half the time.
With some Shorts, you'll be happy to have the ability to cut the viewing time by such a large amount. Another feature will stop those embarrassing moments when you are holding your phone in your hand in a library, a hospital, or even during a work meeting and a YouTube Short goes off by accident. This results in your phone sending loud music, or even inappropriate comments, through the room, cutting through the decorum.
Clear Screen mode removes icons, texts, and elements, from the screen. | Image by Google
There's a new way to quickly shut down YouTube Shorts audio before you startle everyone
There is one way to avoid getting blamed for startling everyone by playing loud audio on your phone. Simply place your handset quietly on the lap of the person sitting next to you and point to that person when all the quizzical looks come your way.
Which new YouTube feature excites you the most?
Google is also giving YouTube Shorts users a more reasonable way to avoid such a scenario. As soon as that loud audio starts playing, tap the screen to pause the video and tap the mute audio icon to silence the playback. This will stop the audio before you get scolded by a librarian, a nurse, or fired by your boss.
The Thumbs Up icon is replaced with a heart. | Image by Google
Google is replacing the "Thumbs Up" button with a heart
Google is also replacing the Thumbs Up button on YouTube Shorts with a heart, as Google considers this a more meaningful way to express your interest in a video. At the same time, seeking to keep the peace on the platform, the thumbs down "Dislike" button will also be removed.
Users can fine-tune their accounts when viewing a YouTube short by tapping the three-dot icon in the upper right corner. You can select "Not Interested" or "Don't recommend this channel." Once you select "Not Interested," you can pick from a variety of reasons why you feel that way. You can say that a video is:
- Irrelevant
- Boring
- Too sexual
- Disgusting
- Violent
- Offensive
- Misleading
YouTube Shorts addiction is a very serious matter that affects a large number of teens and adults. No, not really, but I thought it might be a good way to get you to focus on Google's YouTube Shorts timer. You can set the timer by opening the YouTube app and tapping the profile icon in the bottom right of the display, and then tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu in the top right.
The new YouTube Shorts features will start rolling out now
Once you are in the Settings menu, tap on "Time management" and at the very bottom of the screen, toggle on "Shorts feed limit." This allows you to set a daily limit for the amount of time you can scroll on YouTube Shorts each day from 0 minutes to 2 hours.
Google has started rolling these features out now, although it might take some time before any of them hit your phone.
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