YouTube update for Android includes picture-in-picture feature, new-look UI, and more

By Trevor Mogg August 20, 2013

youtube changes bring 60fps support tip jar donations — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google has started rolling out a significant update to its YouTube app for Android users. First spotted by the folks at Android Police, the refreshed app comes with a slew of new features set to improve the user experience.

The headline feature of YouTube 5.0 has to be the new picture-in-picture functionality that allows you to multitask by minimizing the video you’re watching. Swipe down, press the down arrow in the top left or hit the back button and the video currently playing will be reduced to a small window at the bottom right of your screen.

So while it’s still playing in the corner, you can use the app as usual, doing searches, browsing and subscribing to channels, selecting new videos, and so forth. To bring a video back to full screen, simply tap the minimized picture or swipe toward the top of the screen. Alternatively, you can get rid of it by swiping to the left or right.

Not surprisingly, deeper Chromecast integration comes with the updated app, bringing, for example, a preview screen with various video-related information and the option to send it to your Chromecast-connected TV for immediate viewing or add it to your playlist for later.

The ability to search other users’ channels and watch selections from their playlists is part of the update, too. The revamp also includes a new-look user interface, bringing it in line with other Google services and tools. And hey, you even have a new logo to marvel at.

YouTube 5.0 is being rolled out now to Android users and is set to arrive on other mobile platforms in the not-too-distant future.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

Don’t watch this YouTube video if you have a Pixel 7

Someone holding the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

Reports of another "cursed" piece of content have been making the internet rounds as a video on YouTube has been causing Pixel devices to crash. The video, a clip from the 1979 movie Alien, seems to cause Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and some Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a smartphones to instantly reboot without warning.

As first reported on Reddit and spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the video will begin to play for only a second or two and then instantly reboot the Pixel 7 it's being played on. Digital Trends can confirm the bug to be active and working, too, with the video instantly rebooting a Pixel 7 Pro we tested it on.

Mobile

This YouTube Apple Watch app is just as ridiculous as you’d expect

this youtube apple watch app is just as ridiculous youd expect watchtube

The Apple Watch has allowed users to do everything from calling their family and friends to keeping tabs on their health. But its media streaming abilities have been restricted to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. That's about to change, as now you'll be able to watch your favorite YouTube videos on your wrist thanks to a new app called WatchTube.

Created by Hugo Mason, WatchTube gives access to every YouTube video through the app, and you can hear the videos either through the Apple Watch's built-in speaker or with a pair of Bluetooth headphones. However, the app cannot be linked to your YouTube account in any way as it's a third-party app that just happens to carry the word "Tube" in its name. That said, you'll still be able to search and subscribe to your favorite content creators.

Mobile

Finding recipes on TikTok and YouTube is my new favorite way to cook

Someone taking a picture of a llama cookie.

As an avid baker, I've always hated searching for a recipe on Google and subsequently wading through the extensive backstory of the baker to find it. It's like a buried treasure hunt — only it's painfully slow. One thing I do love, however, is how succinct video recipes are from TikTok and YouTube.

I never have to wonder what the food looks like on these apps; I see and hear almost every step in a way I know I can replicate. And I learn a lot more from them than written recipes teach me. So that got me thinking: What is the best way to bake with video recipes? Will using a quick one-minute video from TikTok be enough, or will a more in-depth 10-minute recipe from YouTube be better?