YouTube is probably the one Google product with the most amount of changes. Over the last several months, the company has been testing a series of new features for its mobile and desktop experiences. They were all announced and launched yesterday, along with a new and refreshed logo. But is the logo really that different? Yes, I can see the difference when it is placed against the old logo. But honestly, when I first saw it, I kind of thought it was the same. Which is probably a good thing. YouTube’s logo is pretty iconic, so any change is going to be a big deal. Which is why its important that the refresh keeps the look just as recognizable. And it did, in my opinion.
But that’s not all. YouTube has refreshed both its desktop and mobile versions with a new look and new features too. On the desktop version, there’s a clear material design for the entire site, along with the long awaited features like dark mode. Which people seem to want with a lot of things. And I can’t really blame them. The desktop design appears more like the other Google products. Or at least, I Think it does. The toolbar on the left side kind of emulates Google Hangouts in a way. So it seems like they’re making the products consistent. Which is good from a branding perspective. And usability, really.
What else has YouTube done? If you come across a video that has been taken in the vertical orientation, YouTube will now shape the player so that the video takes up more of your phone’s screen. Rather than placing black bars around the video. But this isn’t a reason to go out and take vertical videos. It’s just in case that happens. The YouTube app will also be updated to remove the red accents in exchange for white. Something that was discovered during testing on an older Android version. Obviously, the new logo will be added to the app.
The server-side of things got their updates yesterday, but it was unclear as to when the iOS updates would be released. I got an update on my iPhone this morning, and honestly it looks very similar to the old version. Which is fine by me. The reason for the update, according to my iPhone is: to adjust video playback speed with new player controls and to update the design of the YouTube header and logo. So, I guess the updates have been rolled out?
Either way, what do you think of the new logo? I like it, but like I said, I didn’t really notice that much of a difference. Maybe it’s time to give their logo an updated look? But how many companies do that? At least from a logo perspective. I can absolutely see making changes to the platform and the app. It gives it a more cohesive look to the other Google products. And while I’m not knocking the logo change, I just wonder what the impetus was behind it, and if it was even necessary?