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Future versions of YouTube app could feature major revamp of top menu
- Google appears to be testing a YouTube update that changes some things about the UI.
- The most notable change is a much more prominent search bar and the removal of the Cast icon.
- Other tweaks include fonts and colors, but all seem minor.
It appears that Google is testing a newly-designed top menu bar for its YouTube app. First caught by Android Police, the new top bar is simplified, with a much more prominent search bar.
If you open up your YouTube app, you might see the redesign or you might not. Although Google hasn’t issued a statement on the matter, it seems like it is testing out the new design with random users. For what it’s worth, my YouTube app running on Android 8.1 Oreo still features the original design, as pictured in the top image.
The most notable change in the test version of the app is the prominence of the new search bar. What was once a simple magnifying glass icon that you would hit and expand, is now a traditional search bar that takes up the bulk of the menu:
You’ll also notice that the Cast icon is gone. This is likely because most people want to cast certain videos, not their entire YouTube experience. The cast icon is also removed from the menu bar when viewing specific channels.
Other than these two major changes, the rest of the alterations appear to be minor UI tweaks. For example, the search results page features a grey background for your search term, whereas it used to be white to match the background (see top image). Also, some of the fonts appear to be different.
It is unclear if these changes will get a wide release or if Google is simply performing some A/B testing. However, don’t be surprised if in the next few weeks your YouTube app looks a bit different!