What YouTube changed in its layout and features
YouTube made several visible changes to how videos play, how your subscriptions appear, and where buttons sit on the screen. The most noticeable shift was moving the Subscribe button and notification bell to a more prominent spot in the top right corner of the video player. YouTube also redesigned the sidebar where your subscriptions list appears — it now collapses and expands rather than staying open all the time, and the Shorts feed (short vertical videos) takes up more space on the home page than it used to.
The video player itself changed too. The progress bar now appears when you hover over the video rather than sitting at the bottom all the time. Comments moved from directly below the video to a separate tab you have to click to see. The layout of recommended videos on the right side shifted to show fewer videos at once, with larger thumbnails and titles that are easier to read.
These changes rolled out gradually between 2022 and 2024, so not every account saw them on the same date. YouTube tests new layouts with different groups of users before making them permanent, which is why you might have noticed the changes weeks or months before your friend did.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube moved the Subscribe button to the top right of the video player and made the sidebar collapse instead of staying open.
- Comments are now in a separate tab rather than visible below the video, and the progress bar only shows when you move your mouse.
- Shorts (short vertical videos) now appear more frequently on your home page feed.
- YouTube rolled out these changes gradually to different users over several months, so the timing varied by account.
Why YouTube made these changes
YouTube said the new layout makes the site cleaner and less cluttered. By hiding the progress bar until you need it and moving comments to a tab, the video itself takes up more of your screen. The collapsing sidebar saves space on smaller screens and on phones, where a permanent sidebar takes up a quarter of the display.
The bigger push for Shorts reflects YouTube's business strategy. Shorts compete directly with TikTok and Instagram Reels, and YouTube wants creators to make short videos on its platform instead of posting them elsewhere. Putting Shorts higher on the home page means more people see them, which encourages creators to upload Shorts and keeps viewers on YouTube longer.
How to navigate the new comment section
Comments no longer appear automatically below the video. Instead, you click the Comments tab (usually the second tab after the video description) to open the comment section. The tab shows how many comments exist on that video, so you can see at a glance whether there is an active discussion.
Once you open the Comments tab, the layout works the same way it always did — you can sort by newest or most popular, reply to specific comments, and scroll through the thread. If you want to leave a comment, click in the text box at the top of the Comments tab and type your message. You can still use @ mentions to tag other users and use links in your comments.
Managing your sidebar and subscriptions
The subscription sidebar now collapses when you are not using it, which gives you more room to watch videos. Click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner to open or close the sidebar. When it is open, you see your subscriptions list, saved playlists, and your Watch Later queue.
If you want to see all your subscriptions at once without opening the sidebar, click your profile picture in the top right corner and select "Subscriptions" from the menu. This takes you to a dedicated page where you can browse all the channels you follow, sorted by when they last uploaded a video.
Adjusting the progress bar and player controls
The progress bar appears when you move your mouse over the video and disappears when you stop moving it. This is automatic and cannot be turned off in your settings. If you want to see the progress bar all the time, you can use your browser's developer tools or a browser extension, though YouTube does not officially support this.
The other player controls (play, pause, volume, fullscreen, settings) work the same way — they appear when you move your mouse and hide when you do not. If you are watching on a phone or tablet, the controls appear when you tap the video and disappear after a few seconds of inactivity.
Dealing with more Shorts on your home page
YouTube now shows Shorts prominently in your home feed, often between regular videos. If you do not want to see as many Shorts, you can tell YouTube to show you fewer. Click the three dots next to any Shorts video and select "Not interested" or "Don't recommend channel." Doing this repeatedly trains YouTube's algorithm to show you fewer Shorts overall.
You can also mute Shorts by clicking the speaker icon on the video itself. This does not remove Shorts from your feed — it just silences them so they do not play sound when you scroll past. If you want to skip Shorts entirely, you can use a browser extension that hides them, though these are made by third parties and YouTube does not maintain them.
What stayed the same
The core features of YouTube did not change. You still search for videos the same way, your Watch History and Watch Later list work identically, and the video quality settings are in the same place (click the gear icon in the player). Playlists, channel pages, and the upload process all function as they did before.
Your account settings, privacy controls, and notification preferences are unchanged. If you had custom settings for autoplay, captions, or video quality, those settings are still there and still work the way you set them up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get the old YouTube layout back?
No. YouTube does not offer a way to switch back to the previous layout. Once the new design rolls out to your account, that is the layout you have. Some browser extensions claim to restore the old layout, but they are made by third parties and may not work with all videos or features.
Why did my comments disappear?
Your comments did not disappear — they moved to the Comments tab. Click the Comments tab below the video to see all comments, including the ones you wrote. If you cannot find a specific comment, use the search box in the Comments section to search for it by text.
How do I turn off Shorts?
You cannot turn off Shorts entirely, but you can reduce how many you see. Click the three dots on any Shorts video and select "Not interested." Repeat this with several Shorts, and YouTube will show you fewer of them. You can also use a browser extension to hide Shorts, though these are not official YouTube tools.
Is the new layout available on mobile?
Yes. The mobile app has the same changes — the sidebar collapses, comments are in a separate tab, and Shorts appear more often. The progress bar and player controls work the same way on mobile as they do on desktop.
Did YouTube change how recommendations work?
The recommendation algorithm itself did not change, but the way recommendations appear on your screen did. The sidebar now shows fewer recommended videos at once, with larger thumbnails. The videos YouTube recommends to you are based on the same factors as before — your watch history, likes, and what similar viewers watch.