2mo ago

YouTube is testing the worst change ever in its Android app

YouTube is testing a change in swipe gesture behavior for its fullscreen video player, playing the next video instead of toggling fullscreen.

19 comments

i don't like headline hyperbole.
- Right? I'd say charging money and still showing ads is a much worse change than a gesture shortcut.

I don't use the app anymore, just using web Youtube with Firefox
- Same. Removed the app and just have a link to the site on my phone.
- ive had to start using yt-dlp because the web app breaks all the time in firefox.
  i pay for premium

The app sucked ass long before. I switched to NewPipe, it lacks some features, but I've grown to appreciate the lack of em. Shorts are a poison I'm quite happy without. And tailored search results are pure bullshit!

Of course they are going to change the gesture used to minimize and exit the video with scrolling to the next video. Think of the views they will get! Make that big number go up at all costs.
- "Path analytics show this gesture is one of the most commonly used, and often results in the user leaving the app shortly after. We're bleeding retention because of it. What if instead, we show that user a new video?"
  "Brilliant Bob! That will definitely keep users engaged."
  Likely actual discussions occuring at youtube...

There is 2 things I can always count on. Taxes and Google making the YouTube app consistently worse.

I just want the app to stop fucking jumping to a new video any time I lightly touch or don't touch the bottom-right quadrant of my screen. It's like every goddamn day. I can't even lay the phone down sometimes without it immediately killing my video and jumping to the next one. Three different phones now. It's the app.