The redesigned interface shifts the video title, description, and comments to a sidebar, making room for larger video recommendations directly beneath the currently playing video. This move was widely disliked during its initial test phase, prompting YouTube to revert to the original layout for many users. However, in recent days, the redesign has made a comeback, appearing for a subset of users once more.
The new @YouTube UI just arrived, and words cannot describe how much I loathe it.
I haven’t seen a single person who liked this yet. How do I rolled this back? pic.twitter.com/sXx2JsiYjT
— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) May 21, 2024
The reasons behind this second attempt remain unclear. It’s possible that YouTube is simply gathering additional data and feedback to inform future decisions. The company has stated in various replies that these redesigns are experiments, and that most experiments only last for a few weeks. However, it is uncertain whether this specific redesign falls under that timeframe.
Whether this revamped interface will become the standard YouTube experience is yet to be determined. Nevertheless, this second round of testing suggests that YouTube is still exploring ways to enhance the user experience, even if it means resurrecting a design that initially missed the mark for most.