YouTube’s new update brings new gesture controls, revamped player page

YouTube has rolled out a new update to its mobile applications that feature bring a revamped video player page. The update also features new navigation gestures. Let us take a closer look.

Video Chapters

YouTube had introduced Video Chapters in May this year. As the name implies, it allows you to jump to a specific section of a video. The feature comes in handy for longer videos or videos that have template-based sections. The feature is now getting expanded to include a new list view. You can find it by just tapping or clicking the chapter title in the player. The list will feature all chapters in the video along with a thumbnail for easier understanding.

Player page

Live captions are not accurate most of the time but are useful, nonetheless. To make the feature more accessible to users, YouTube has shifted the button to a better location that can be easily spotted. It has also shifted the autoplay toggle to make it easier to turn it on or off. The revamped autoplay toggle will soon come to the Desktop. Other improvements to the player page include re-arranged buttons. The objective of the changes is to make it easier and quicker for users to navigate through the player page.

Gestures

With Android and iOS embracing full-screen phones with gesture-based navigation, YouTube is also adding features to suit the new form factor. For instance, you can now simply swipe to enter full screen and down to exit. You can tap the timestamp to switch back and forth to check the time remaining in a video.

Others

YouTube is now making it easier for users with VR headsets. Going forward, it will show you suggested actions such as when to rotate the phone. Another interesting new feature is the bedtime reminders, a digital wellbeing tool that allows you to set reminders at specific times to discontinue watching videos.