YouTube Music has begun rolling out a split-view redesign for its Now Playing feature. The update includes new icons for the “Song” and “Video” switcher and a slightly larger cover art display.
The redesign introduces a dual-pane interface, allowing users to view cover art, controls, and the Up Next queue simultaneously. This change enhances usability by dedicating the bottom section of the screen to the Up Next queue, which can be revealed by swiping anywhere in the player.
The progress bar has transitioned from a thin line and playhead to a thicker container that visually expands when users tap and scrub it. The previous features, including the “Lyrics” and “Related” sections, have been removed from the Now Playing screen.
Lyrics have been relocated to appear just after the thumbs up/down buttons, with the Related section accessible via the song title and a right-facing chevron. Users can revert back to the fullscreen design by swiping up again.
The split-view Now Playing redesign is available on YouTube Music for Android starting with version 9.14 and iOS with version 9.15. This update is a server-side change and can be triggered by dismissing the queue or force stopping the app.
