YouTube created controversy in its community with its latest user interface update on the desktop version. The platform quietly changed the positions of the “Subscriptions” tab on the left menu and the “You” tab, which contains user-specific content. While previously the “You” tab was located at the top, this area has now been moved under the “Subscriptions” tab. This seemingly minor change caused confusion for many long-time YouTube users.
Reactions regarding this update were especially concentrated on platforms such as Reddit. Users state that the change does not provide any functional contribution. One user shared his opinion by saying, “I just realized, it’s really bad. I didn’t like seeing unnecessary shared videos in the subscription tab anyway, now this change has created even more confusion.” Another user stated that the old layout was simpler and more useful and commented, “It made more sense for the Subscriptions tab to be closer to the home button and then personal content to come.”
YouTube users were disturbed by the new layout being compared to a mobile application.
Some users think that this change is trying to bring YouTube’s desktop interface closer to the mobile app appearance. Those who hold this view argue that the web platform’s increasing shift towards a mobile-oriented design negatively affects ease of use. One commenter expressed his reaction by saying, “It’s like they’re trying to make the website look like a mobile application, but it doesn’t work at all.”
In addition to the tab change, users are also disturbed by YouTube’s constant manipulation of the interface for a long time. It is stated that such frequent changes disrupt the usual usage pattern and negatively affect the user experience. The general opinion among users is that YouTube is just making changes without offering any meaningful innovation.
However, some users are also looking for ways to undo the interface change in question with their own efforts. Among these interventions made with third-party browser add-ons, solutions such as Stylus, Unhook and YouTube Tweaks stand out. One user even stated that he managed to return to the old order by developing a special code for the Stylus extension with the help of ChatGPT. However, such temporary solutions do not offer permanent relief for a wide range of users.
In addition to all these, other problems have been on the agenda on YouTube lately. Some users encounter problems such as the publication date not appearing on videos.