YouTube has a better way to watch vertical video... and a new logo
In case there were still any doubts: vertical videos are here to stay.
YouTube will soon update its apps so, when you play a vertical video, you won't see those ugly black bars on the sides. The changes comes as part of a bigger redesign that also brings new features to YouTube's website as well as an updated logo.
The new vertical video support is rolling out to YouTube's app "soon," though the visual refresh is live as of today. Once live, the app's video player will be able to automatically adapt to the size of the video you're watching.
This means vertically shot videos will look more like what you see on Snapchat, with videos filling the entire screen of your phone, than what YouTube has typically been known for. While something YouTube probably should have implemented years ago, it should still be welcome news to anyone who has cringed over vertical videos with ugly black bard.
Other new features coming to the app include: the ability to change a video's playback speed, new navigational gestures that let you skip to the next video by swiping across your screen (YouTube says that one is still an experiment, for now), and, of course, the shiny new YouTube logo and icon.
The new logo isn't a huge departure from the previous design. It uses the same black, white, and red color scheme, though the letters are now closer together. There's also a new icon to go along with the logo, which the company says will be easier to adapt to smaller screens.
"When room is limited (say on a smartphone) you can use the brightened-up Icon as an abbreviated Logo, which will be seen more easily and read more clearly," YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan wrote in an announcement detailing the changes.
YouTube is also making some design changes to its website. The site is finally rolling out its Material Design-inspired refresh, which includes a new "dark theme," which lets you browse and watch video with a dark background to make nighttime viewing.
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
