For years, YouTube has been the go-to platform for streaming everything from education to music and entertainment, but things have been going down for quite some time now, and people aren’t pleased with what’s happening there.
Also, in response to higher costs for YouTube Premium, users are being charged newer functionality updates that have some scratching their heads. The latest change in the Android app involves simple scroll gestures, which could change how viewers consume long-form content.
YouTube Premium hikes prices and tests new gestures, sparking user reactions
Tech watchers say YouTube is testing a scroll gesture on Android devices to change how users navigate around fullscreen mode for long-form videos. Instead of swiping up or down on the fullscreen video while in landscape mode, the player would be minimized or closed, resulting in a smooth jump back to the video feed. Instead of this, when you swipe down, it’ll bring up the next video, like how YouTube Shorts works.
This will feel like a big shift if you become comfortable with old swipe gestures. Because users usually watch long-form videos with intention and do not want to be interrupted by any content, the new scroll behavior could break the immersive experience. Users can still use buttons to move in or out of fullscreen mode; however, the gesture change might feel less intuitive on large devices, where simple gestures are generally preferred.
YouTube’s latest updates bring price hikes and surprising new gestures
And then, throwing fuel on the fire, YouTube Premium has raised its prices across all its different tiers. The individual plan is now $13.99 per month or $119.99 annually. Family plans allow up to six people to use the device, too, but for a higher price: the network now charges $22.99 monthly. Verifications at CAL are still in effect, so college students can still use the more affordable $7.99 monthly plan as long as their school is valid.
YouTube temporarily switched these new interface changes to test them and work out the premium pricing. Now, YouTube looks to balance user experience with an increasing focus on monetization. While it’s not clear whether the scroll gesture for fullscreen videos will reach many more users, it sparked a debate among users about what they think YouTube should do in the name of removing its original, familiar interface.
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