Back in April, YouTube announced a redesign for its video player on smart TVs, and you’ll soon get to try it out for yourself.
As announced on YouTube’s support forum, and spotted by The Verge, the redesign is rolling out now, which it calls a “more intuitive experience.” The redesign only impacts the video player, so there aren’t any changes to how you select what to watch.
The most obvious change is the video’s title now appears at the top of the screen. It used to be near the bottom, above the controls. The new design puts all of the buttons along the bottom bar, and groups them together by intention. In the middle of the navigation bar, you’ll find the most-used controls like Previous, Pause, and Next.
On the left-hand side you’ll find Channel related controls, such as the button to go to the creator’s profile, a way to see the Description, and a Subscribe icon. That last button turns into the notifications control, if you’re already subscribed to a channel.
The Description button is new, which was previously accessible by pressing on a video’s title. YouTube believes this is a clearer way to find a description, and it also brings up the comments.
The new design on YouTube’s TV app (Credit: YouTube)
On the right-hand side you’ll now find Like, Dislike, Comment, Save, Closed Captions, and Settings. If the channel you’re watching has a paid membership option, you’ll also see the button here to learn more about a subscription.
There are also two new controls: a Multiview option for live sports content, and a Display Mode for those who subscribe to YouTube Music or Premium.
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The design is available on my LG smart TV, but others online say it’s not yet appearing for them. The rollout was first announced on Dec. 11, so it may take a few days to fully roll out. YouTube added this new look to Android TV products at the end of August.
Squeezing this release in before the end of the year means it’s still part of the brand’s 20th birthday celebrations. YouTube is set to turn 21 on Feb. 14, 2026.
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