YouTube Turns 20, Announces New Features Across Platforms
To mark its 20th anniversary, YouTube has unveiled a range of platform upgrades—some already live, others rolling out soon. The changes span YouTube TV, mobile, and smart TVs, though desktop updates appear more limited for now.
Among the highlights:
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Custom multiviews are coming to YouTube TV, allowing users to curate their own multistream experience—not just for sports, but also select non-sports content.
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Voice replies in comments are being expanded to more creators.
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The YouTube app on smart TVs is getting a refreshed UI soon.
On the desktop side, while no major announcements were shared in YouTube’s blog post, users are reporting the arrival of a new video player interface. The updated layout closely resembles the Google Drive video player, featuring Material Design 3 styling with pill-shaped buttons.
Reddit users who’ve seen the update note that most controls remain where they were, with one exception: the volume slider has moved to the opposite side of the player, reflecting the new design direction.
These changes mark another evolution in YouTube’s interface and user experience as it enters its third decade as the world’s largest video platform.
Here’s what the new UI looks like
In addition to the new pill-shaped controls and the relocated volume icon, YouTube’s updated desktop player also introduces a vertical volume slider, replacing the long-standing horizontal bar. Some users have noted that keyboard shortcuts or scroll-to-adjust functions may no longer work as expected with the new layout—though this hasn’t been confirmed across the board.
The redesign closely mirrors the TV interface YouTube is preparing to launch later this summer, signaling a broader effort to unify the platform’s look and feel across devices. While some users have welcomed the sleeker, more modern appearance, others have expressed frustration over the abrupt change—particularly given how long the previous UI had remained consistent.
To some extent, this shift was inevitable. Platforms like Google Drive and Google Vids already adopted this new player style months ago, suggesting that YouTube’s web player was always going to follow suit.
Is the new UI live for you yet? If so, how are you finding the change?
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