YouTube has started rolling out a major redesign for its TV app, featuring new playback controls and a refreshed interface aimed at making navigation easier on big screens. But not everyone is thrilled with the fresh look—feedback is pouring in, and opinions are split.
The updated video player, showcased during YouTube’s 20th anniversary celebrations, brings handy on-screen play, pause, and skip buttons, a visible Subscribe option at all times, and extra features like multiview for live sports and new display controls for Premium members.
According to YouTube, these changes should help users get around faster and reduce all those endless menu clicks. Still, many viewers aren’t finding the experience as smooth as promised, with glitches and hiccups popping up on various devices.
Some users quickly spotted technical issues. Steve Kaufman shared that “YouTube on Samsung Smart TV is just playing grey,” despite trying everything from rebooting to reinstalling the app. He confirmed that other streaming services were working fine and blamed the new update for his troubles.
Another user, Signius, echoed those frustrations, complaining that the revamped YouTube app now causes video glitches that never happened before and constantly asks him to reconnect—problems he never faced with previous versions.
It’s not just about reliability. Plenty of viewers aren’t happy with the visual overhaul itself. LaxerFL vented, “I HATE the new UI layout. Please allow me to use the original, totally fine for years UI! I have it memorised!”—a sentiment that sums up the resistance to change felt by many loyal users.
Meanwhile, others are asking for better content controls instead of cosmetic tweaks. Ashish Nimrot called on YouTube to introduce a permanent “Disable Shorts” option for TV apps, arguing that the endless scroll of short videos is distracting and doesn’t fit well on screens shared by families.
Regardless of the backlash, YouTube is pressing ahead, rolling out the new player to devices like Google TV Streamer and Apple TV. The company says it’s listening to feedback and will continue to refine the app as more users get the update.
With every new redesign, YouTube finds itself balancing on a tightrope: offering sleeker features while keeping things familiar to millions of viewers who’ve built their habits around the old interface. As this latest revamp goes live, only time will tell whether change will win over annoyed fans or leave them pining for the classic look.
