- YouTube is rolling out a big update for its watch screen on TVs
- There’s a new Description button and enhanced Subscribe button
- We also get relocated video titles and new controls for live sports and more
When we reported on plans for the much-needed YouTube TV app redesign back in April, we said it was coming “soon”.
Well, it turns out that Google‘s idea of “soon” is very different to ours, and when Google said “summer” it meant “winter” (for those in the northern hemisphere, at least). Still, better late than never – this update is rolling out now and it will make your YouTube TV app better.
Google says the update to the TV Watch Page delivers “a smoother, more intuitive experience with easier navigation, better control accessibility, and fewer interruptions.”
It’s rolling out now on smart TVs and streaming boxes like Apple TV right now (we can confirm it’s now landed on the latter). Here’s what’s new…
1. Reorganized controls
The on-screen controls are now organized into three clear sections immediately below the video scrubber.
On the left you have the channel, description and subscribe controls; in the center you have the previous, pause and next controls; and on the right there are the like, dislike, comment, save, closed captions and settings controls.
2. Relocated video titles
The video titles have been moved. You’ll now see them at the top left of the player screen, and the titles are no longer clickable.
That fits with the single teaser image Google released way back in the Spring, which showed that change very clearly.
3. A new Description button
The new Description button (which you’ll find to the left of the playback controls, next to the channel icon) is the replacement for clickable video titles – and it lets you see key information about the current video.
Tap the button and you’ll get the sidebar above, which includes details about the creator, any video metadata, plus a preview of any comments. You also get quick access to any video chapters, which is pretty handy, plus a ‘how this was made’ box, which tells you if any of the video was AI-generated.
4. An enhanced Subscribe button
The subscribe button is always visible now in the playback controls and is separate from the channel thumbnail. That basically means one less click if you’re watching a video and want to subscribe.
The button will also adjust so you can see if content is paywalled, and let you set notifications for upcoming live streams, too. Which could come in handy for those big tech keynotes in 2026.
5. More new controls
If you’re watching live sports you’ll now see the Multiview control, and if you’re a Music or Premium subscriber you’ll see the Display Mode control.
Google had previously promised that Multiview was also coming to non-sports content, but unfortunately there’s no sign of that in this update so far.
None of these changes are particularly earth-shattering, but they’re all welcome improvements to an interface that was definitely in need of a makeover – and it makes it more consistent with the mobile apps, too.
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