MacRumors has received multiple tips from users that claim a redesigned version of YouTube for iOS briefly appeared on iPhone last week before reverting back to the current design. One tipster sent us a gallery of screenshots showing off the possible redesign, which is speculated to be in the works for both iOS and Android alongside a new web-based video player that is currently in testing.
While we cannot verify the authenticity of these photos, and were unable to witness the redesigned version of YouTube firsthand, the possible redesign appears consistent with the appearance of other Material Design apps on iOS and Android. Specifically, the screenshots show that the app will gain a cleaner look, red header and new bottom menu with options for home, trending videos, all videos and user profiles.
The unofficial Google Operating System blog reported over the weekend that YouTube is also testing a new HTML5 desktop video player for Mac and PC with a transparent control bar that automatically hides until you hover over it. It would seem logical that an updated version of YouTube for iOS and Android may also be in development at Google, although an exact timeframe for a release date remains unknown.
Top Rated Comments
You can't play it in the background or when the device screen is off and every time I try to load YouTube in Safari for those features, it opens the official app without fail. I always end up deleting it.
in addition to the fact that airplay dosent seem to work for from the youtube app. am i alone there?
The fact that it can't play in the background is intentional. The younger generation started to use YT as a free music player and Google decided to put an end to that.
The current weird gesture system is confusing and non-functional. You can't even go Back and Forward through your recent views.
And if you leave the (current) app, it almost never resumes where you were.