YouTube tests new landscape layout on Android for a smoother experience

YouTube is currently working on a new, better optimized, landscape layout for Android. The new layout is not currently available to everyone, but some users are able to see it.

YouTube is one of the best Android apps out there, and Google is constantly working to refine the experience for its users. Now, the Mountain View tech giant is focusing on phones in landscape orientation and larger screen foldables and tablets with some upcoming tweaks.

The folks at Android Authority were able to spot that Google has been working on refining the YouTube experience for bigger screen ratios. The app is currently optimized for portrait orientation. If you wish to rotate to landscape orientation, you'll be greeted with a landscape that's basically the portrait orientation... but rotated.

With the current experience, channel updates appear at the top row while your subscription feed is below it. The current look is somewhat cramped and busy, while there's some wasted white space horizontally.

With YouTube app v19.50.36, Google is testing some helpful UI changes for landscape orientation. The change was spotted on a foldable phone, but should also be available for tablets when it launches.



The new layout positions the subscription feed better, while channel updates are on the left navigation side rail. Videos are in the second column. Also, the thumbnail sizing is fixed to take advantage of the wasted white space and make the UI easier to navigate.

The channel view is also cleaner now.

Thanks to the changes, you have more information present on the screen in landscape orientation and it overall looks better and cleaner. Right now, this new layout is being tested, so it's not officially released and we don't have details on when it will be. Hopefully, the change will come sooner rather than later.

I really like the fact that YouTube is thinking about users on foldable phones, tablets, and just people who fancy landscape orientation. This update seems long overdue, but it's great news that it's being worked on anyway.

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