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.

YouTube for iOS Redesign
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.

YouTube Desktop Redesign
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

Zxxv Avatar
128 months ago
we are in the era of developers ****ing apps up so bad the user experience is crud and the look is horrific. Who got hired and who got fired?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Traverse Avatar
128 months ago
I hate the official youtube app.

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.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chuloo Avatar
128 months ago
I had it too, and really hated it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
numlock Avatar
128 months ago
They need to do SOMETHING.

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.
true its absolutely pathetic. i pray when i open links in safari it dosent open the app because you cant go back and forward

in addition to the fact that airplay dosent seem to work for from the youtube app. am i alone there?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Casiotone Avatar
128 months ago
I hate the official youtube app.

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.

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.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
128 months ago
They need to do SOMETHING.

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.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...