The browser version of YouTube received an overhaul inspired by Google’s Material Design, some users started reporting on Thursday. In addition to a new user interface, it seems that YouTube now also supports a Dark mode. The changes are only rolling out in some parts of the world, so it’s unclear whether this marks the start of a global rollout or is YouTube simply testing the new version of its service in more territories. The company initially started experimenting with the latest variant of YouTube back in mid-2016 and it seemed that a worldwide launch would be just around the corner, but that still hasn’t happened yet. However, even if you’re still seeing the old version of YouTube in your desktop browser, there’s a method of forcing the new Material Design-inspired user interface regardless of where you’re located. Unfortunately, this method still won’t allow you to enable Dark mode.
The Google-owned YouTube has recently been hard at work improving its video service, though most of its efforts revolved around the company’s Android app. This coincides with the firm’s insistence to commit more resources towards bettering the broadcasting element of its service, YouTube Live. This live streaming platform is being pushed as an alternative to Facebook Live and similar services, and seeing how YouTube is mostly encouraging content creators to broadcast videos spontaneously throughout their day, it makes sense for the company to initially focus its efforts on its mobile offerings. Still, the redesign of the browser version of YouTube will play a role in unifying the overall user experience of the service seeing how the YouTube mobile app already received a similar overhaul recently, just like many other Google’s app and services did.
Seeing how YouTube still hasn’t officially announced the rollout of the new user interface, it’s likely that the company is still in the process of testing it, and a global launch of the service will probably be accompanied by an announcement on the YouTube blog. So, more information will follow soon, but if you want to see a quick preview of the new website, check out the gallery below.
