The YouTube team is testing a UI tweak that’s somewhat reminiscent of iOS. The company is integrating a blurred bottom bar in the YouTube app for Android so it better integrates with the feed as you scroll. They’re also redesigning some of the buttons on the bar.
Currently, the YouTube app’s bottom bar uses a solid color. The color is different depending on whether you’re using the Light Mode or Dark Mode. However, as spotted by 9to5Google, at least one Android user has reported that their YouTube app’s bottom bar has become blurred. So, it now blends with the main colors of whatever is in the background.
YouTube’s bottom bar could get more dynamic and colorful on Android
The effect can be colorful since video thumbnails in the YouTube app feed are “dynamic.” That is, videos start playing from the thumbnail before you tap on them. This behavior is set by default, but you can disable it if you want. Anyway, the colors of the new blurred bottom bar will change according to what’s playing or showing in the video thumbnail.
The blurred bottom bar isn’t the only design tweak under test. According to the report, the company redesigned the Home and Subscriptions buttons with minimalism in mind. Also, the “+” button replaced its circular white outline with a “blurred filled circle” that makes it stand out more. Interestingly, the new bottom bar doubles in size on phones that still use Android’s three-button navigation, as the navigation bar also adopts the flashy effect.
It’s not yet known when the new bottom bar will reach all users, or if it will ever do so. It wouldn’t be the first time that a Google service has tested a change that never makes it to the stable branch. However, it looks like YouTube will get some major tweaks soon. A recent report revealed that the company is experimenting with a new Picture-in-Picture (PiP) miniplayer. Plus, YouTube is considering implementing mid-roll ads in PiP format.
