YouTube is making headlines with a significant change that affects user experience. In the mobile app, the countdown timer and ‘Skip’ button will no longer be displayed during ads. This change aims to steer free YouTube users towards subscribing to YouTube Premium. Previously, the countdown timer would appear in the bottom right corner of the ad, and users could skip the ad once the timer expired. However, with the new system, it becomes unclear when the ad can be skipped. Users will now have to guess when the ad will end by following the yellow bar underneath the video. This could particularly increase the attention viewers pay to ads, benefiting advertisers.
Feature Still in Testing Phase
Google is currently testing this new ad display format on a limited group of users and has not yet rolled it out to all users. The expansion of this feature will be determined based on user feedback in the coming periods. YouTube users are showing varied reactions to this new change. While some criticize it as making ads more dominant, others see it as an attractive reason to subscribe to Premium. Ultimately, this move by YouTube illustrates the evolution of its advertising policies and its impact on user experience.