YouTube tests new landscape layout on Android for a smoother experience

YouTube is currently developing a new, more optimized landscape layout for Android. The new layout isn’t currently available to everyone, but some users are able to see it.

YouTube is one of the best Android apps, and Google is always working to improve the user experience. Now, the Mountain View tech giant is focusing on landscape phones, large-screen foldable phones and tablets, with some tweaks on the horizon.

People at Android Authority We found that Google has been working on improving the YouTube experience to allow for larger screen ratios. The app is currently optimized for portrait orientation. If you want to rotate to landscape, you’ll see landscape that is basically portrait…but rotated.

Based on my current experience, channel updates appear on the top row, with feeds below it. The current look is a bit cramped and busy, with some wasted horizontal white space.

With YouTube app v19.50.36, Google is testing some useful landscape UI changes. This change was discovered in foldable phonebut should also be available for tablets when it launches.

The new layout better positions feeds, while channel updates are located on the left navigation bar. The video is in the second column. Additionally, the thumbnail size is fixed to take advantage of wasted white space and make the UI easier to navigate.

The channel view is also clearer now.

Thanks to these changes, you can display more information horizontally on the screen and it will look better and cleaner overall. This new layout is currently in testing, so it’s not officially released yet, and we don’t have details on when it will be released. Hopefully this change will come soon.

I really like the fact that YouTube thinks about its users foldable phonetablets, and people who prefer landscape orientation. This update seems long overdue, but it’s still on the way anyway, which is good news.