youtubeWhile a fully redesigned YouTube app with Google's Material Design, an emphasis on subscriptions and creation tools is coming soon to iOS, YouTube has, in the interim, issued a minor update to its current app with fullscreen playback for vertical videos.

Vertical videos are videos that are shot in portrait mode on smartphones. Previously, viewing a vertical video in the YouTube app added two black bars to the sides of the video, shrinking the actual image and making it difficult to view. Now, vertical videos play in full screen the same way they were filmed, allowing users to have a better experience on mobile devices.

YouTube is a universal app available for free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: YouTube

Top Rated Comments

arian19 Avatar
113 months ago
Omg YouTube!! Don't encourage them! Just as I thought the tides were shifting in favor of horizontal...
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
113 months ago
A required Public Service Announcement on Vertical Video Syndrome ('http://youtu.be/Bt9zSfinwFA'):

Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DJTaurus Avatar
113 months ago
Is it so difficult for them to add audio continues play outside the app.......?.... the most requested feature.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AnsonX10 Avatar
113 months ago
Don't encourage vertical video Google! Accommodating bad video practices is not a good practice in general. It's prejudice against people that like to use their phones sideways! Soon we'll have to buy 9:16 aspect ratio TVs to view 9:16 broadcast TV. lol
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
113 months ago
I'm not sure this counts as "progress"...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JesterJJZ Avatar
113 months ago
Smartphones should've never allowed it to begin with.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...