YouTube is experimenting with a new feature designed to enhance content discovery and streamline the viewing experience for its users: a floating “Play Something” button. This feature aims to reduce the decision paralysis that can sometimes accompany navigating the vast library of videos on the platform by automatically selecting a video based on the user’s viewing history and preferences. This new iteration of the “Play Something” button represents a refinement of previous versions that have undergone testing. While the core functionality remains the same – offering users a curated video selection with a single tap – the implementation has been updated to improve accessibility and integrate more seamlessly with the existing user interface.
The most noticeable change is the placement of the “Play Something” button. Instead of being integrated into a specific section of the app, the new version floats just above the bottom navigation bar. This prominent positioning makes the feature readily accessible regardless of where the user is within the app, whether browsing their subscriptions, exploring recommended videos, or checking notifications. This floating design ensures that users can effortlessly initiate the “Play Something” function without interrupting their current browsing activity, promoting a more fluid and dynamic user experience. The floating nature also suggests that YouTube intends for this feature to become a central and frequently used component of the platform.
Another key aspect of the new “Play Something” button is its utilization of the YouTube Shorts player, even for standard, horizontally formatted videos. While this approach provides a consistent viewing experience regardless of the video’s original format, it introduces potential drawbacks. For instance, traditional landscape videos might be awkwardly cropped or letterboxed to fit the portrait-oriented Shorts player, potentially diminishing the viewing experience. This design choice suggests a focus on mobile-first consumption, mirroring the increasing popularity of short-form vertical video content. However, it also highlights the potential conflict between optimizing for mobile viewing and preserving the intended aspect ratio and visual integrity of longer, traditional videos.
This current implementation raises concerns about the viewing experience for standard YouTube videos. Cropping or letterboxing standard landscape videos to fit the portrait-oriented Shorts player could compromise the visual quality and artistic intent of these videos. Forcing all videos into the Shorts player format may not be the optimal solution, especially for viewers who prefer to watch longer, more in-depth content on their mobile devices. Ideally, the final version of the feature will address this issue by dynamically adjusting the player to match the video’s original aspect ratio, ensuring a seamless and visually optimized viewing experience.
The use of the Shorts player for all video formats underscores a larger trend within the online video landscape: the ascendancy of short-form, vertically oriented content. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have popularized this format, and YouTube has responded with its own Shorts offering. By leveraging the Shorts player for the “Play Something” feature, YouTube is likely aiming to capitalize on this trend and encourage users to explore and engage with both short-form and long-form content within a unified viewing experience. This strategy also aligns with the increasing prevalence of mobile video consumption, as vertical videos are naturally suited to smartphone screens.
While the integration of the Shorts player is an interesting experiment, it remains to be seen whether it will prove successful in the long term. User feedback will be crucial in determining whether this approach enhances or detracts from the overall YouTube experience. The floating “Play Something” button represents YouTube’s ongoing efforts to improve content discovery and provide users with a more passive, lean-back viewing option. While the current implementation using the Shorts player for all videos presents potential challenges, it highlights YouTube’s focus on adapting to evolving user preferences and the rise of short-form mobile video. The success of this feature will ultimately depend on whether it can effectively balance the convenience of automated video selection with the preservation of a high-quality viewing experience for all video formats.
