YouTube’s New Scrolling Feature: Love It or Hate It?
YouTube is at it again, testing a new feature that is sure to spark debate among its users. The video-sharing giant is currently experimenting with a change to the familiar fullscreen gesture on mobile. Instead of swiping up to enter fullscreen mode and scrolling up to see suggested videos, users will now be sent directly to a new suggested video with a simple swipe up. Sound familiar? It’s essentially the same mechanism used in YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram.
The new feature, first spotted by Tushar Mehta, works like this: when you’re watching a video in fullscreen mode, swiping up will take you to the next suggested video. If you change your mind and want to go back, swiping down will bring you to the previous video instead of exiting fullscreen mode. To exit fullscreen, you’ll need to swipe down from the very first video or use the button in the corner.
This update is clearly designed to keep users engaged and spending more time on the platform, endlessly swiping from one video to the next. While this approach might be successful for short-form content like Shorts, some users are concerned that it feels out of place for longer, full-form videos. After all, when you sit down to watch a movie, you don’t expect to be mindlessly scrolling through random suggestions halfway through.
Muscle Memory Mayhem
One of the biggest concerns with this new feature is the disruption of muscle memory. Users who are accustomed to simply swiping down to exit fullscreen mode may find themselves unintentionally swiping back and forth between videos. This could be especially frustrating for those who prefer to watch one video at a time without distractions.
However, it’s important to remember that limited test runs like this are designed to gather user feedback. If enough people express their dislike for the feature, there’s a chance it won’t make it past the testing phase. On the other hand, it could be here to stay regardless of user preferences, as has been the case with some of YouTube’s previous updates.
So, what do you think? Are you a fan of this new scrolling feature, or do you prefer the traditional fullscreen gesture? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to share this post with your friends to get their take on it too! Stay tuned to our site for more updates on this and other tech-related stories.
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