YouTube has announced a series of new features for Shorts aimed at improving the viewing experience and giving users greater control over how they interact with short-form videos.
The updates, which will roll out over the coming days and weeks, include a new distraction-free viewing mode, faster playback options, redesigned engagement buttons and improved content controls.
The headline addition is a new feature called Clear Screen mode, which allows users to watch Shorts without on-screen distractions. When enabled, the mode temporarily hides text overlays, buttons and other user interface elements, allowing videos to expand and fill the entire screen.
YouTube said the feature is designed to provide a cleaner and more immersive viewing experience for users who prefer to focus solely on video content.
The platform is also introducing a 2x playback speed option for Shorts, enabling viewers to watch videos at twice the normal speed. The feature follows a growing trend among video platforms that offer accelerated playback controls to help users consume content more efficiently.
In another notable change, YouTube is replacing the traditional thumbs-up icon with a heart-shaped button for Shorts. The company believes the new design will make interactions feel more personal and expressive.
Users will also gain a simpler way to mute videos. By pausing a Short with a tap on the screen, viewers can access a new mute button that instantly silences audio playback.
YouTube is further refining its recommendation system by removing the dislike button from Shorts. In its place, the platform will provide more direct feedback options, including “Not interested” and “Don’t recommend this channel.”
The change is intended to help users better personalise their content feeds while giving YouTube more meaningful signals about viewing preferences.
The latest updates underscore YouTube’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Shorts as competition intensifies in the short-video market. By introducing cleaner viewing options, faster playback and enhanced content controls, the company aims to make the platform more engaging and user-friendly for audiences worldwide.
