YouTube Dark Theme: Video site undergoes major redesign

It's useful, as well as aesthetically appealing

Aatif Sulleyman
Tuesday 02 May 2017 18:27 BST
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The site has also introduced infinite scrolling, in order to keep users engaged for longer
The site has also introduced infinite scrolling, in order to keep users engaged for longer

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Google is experimenting with a new layout for YouTube, which users can start testing right now.

The video site says it wants to look simpler, as well as more consistent and user-friendly.

The most notable new addition is the Dark Theme.

This switches YouTube’s classic white-and-red theme for black, and it’s useful, as well as aesthetically appealing.

Browsing the regular version of the site in a darkened room at night can hurt users’ eyes, and the black theme should make for far more comfortable viewing.

YouTube’s Dark Theme was actually discovered last month, though it took some fiddling to activate.

Google has only said that the desktop version of YouTube is in line for the redesign, but it’s likely that the app will receive the same treatment in the near future.

“Starting today, we’re opening up a preview of the new design to a small group of people from all around the world so we can get feedback,” reads a post on the YouTube blog.

“While we hope you'll love what we’ve been working on, we’re also really excited to involve the YouTube community so we can make the site even better before sharing it more broadly.”

The new design looks much cleaner too, thanks in part to the shrunken navigation bar.

Google has also introduced infinite scrolling, in order to keep users engaged.

Numerous social media sites use a continuous scroll because it encourages users to try to find an update worth looking at, and thus keeps them around for longer.

The new layout is a work in progress, and users can access it here.

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