Key Takeaways
- YouTube is testing continuous scrolling for long-form videos, which could change the swipe gesture behavior for full-screen videos.
- The feature is currently available to a limited number of users, but YouTube might release it more widely soon.
- YouTube users have pointed out that the feature also interferes with gestures like scrolling down to see the notification shade.
Google’s made a lot of changes to YouTube lately — some good, some not so much. For one, YouTube’s been going after ad blockers, rolling out changes to either get users to stop using them or switch to Premium. Its latest tactic is removing critical information like view counts and upload dates if it detects the use of ad blockers. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Premium subscribers either, as they’re dealing with price hikes in different regions. And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse for both groups, YouTube is now testing infinite scroll for long-form videos, which could lead to a gesture downgrade.
YouTube has introduced continuous scrolling for long-form videos in the full-screen video player, as spotted by Tushar Mehta on X/Twitter (via Android Authority). It’s similar to what you already experience when watching YouTube Shorts. However, this change means you’ll no longer be able to exit full-screen by swiping down. Instead, when you swipe down on a full-screen long-form video, it will play the next video. To exit full-screen mode, you’ll have to use the button on the screen.
YouTube seems to be testing this feature with a limited number of users. It’s unclear when it plans to roll it out more widely. We couldn’t spot the feature on any of our devices yet.
Hey YouTube, this might not be a good idea
While we haven’t had a chance to try this feature yet, those who have aren’t exactly thrilled about it. People on Reddit are calling it “awfully annoying,” saying it makes them go back and forth every time they accidentally or reflexively scroll to do something they’re used to. Some complained that the feature is making simple tasks, like checking the time or adjusting device brightness, a hassle. When they scroll down to do either of these, YouTube just skips to the next video.
