Google redesigns YouTube and adds new gestures

Google on the official blog told about the introduction of the new YouTube interface and several useful features to improve the experience of using the video service. Here are the main improvements.

Ambient mode

This is a new effect that dynamically changes the page color to match the content in the video. It is inspired by the light that screens cast in a dark room and is similar to the Ambilight technology on Philips TVs.

Ambient Mode will be available both on the web version of YouTube and on mobile devices running Android and iOS, but only with a dark interface theme.

black theme

The dark mode of the interface is now truly black, without gray tints. And it will also be available on the web and on mobile devices, as well as on Smart TV.

playlists

Video playlists will now be color-coded to match the video's cover. Also, each playlist will have more detailed information about the content.

New buttons

YouTube links in video descriptions have been replaced with buttons, and common actions such as Like, Share, and Download have been formatted to not distract from the content.

The subscribe button has also received a makeover: a new shape and high contrast make it really stand out, and although it's no longer red, it's easier to find.

Gestures for video control

With the pinch to zoom, you can now easily zoom in and out of a video on your iOS or Android smartphone. And the video will stay zoomed even when you take your fingers off the screen.

Also on PC and mobile devices, it became possible to quickly jump to a specific fragment of the video. Just swipe up to open a row of thumbnails in the video player and select the segment you want.

And added the ability to long press anywhere in the player to search for chapters and double-tap with two fingers to skip them.

All these innovations will be available on devices around the world in the very near future.