YouTube Testing New Ad Skipping Feature, Removing Countdown Timer

Highlights

• YouTube is testing a new ad display format.
• It is replacing the countdown timer with a grey rectangle covering the Skip button.
• The new format is rolling out on desktop.
• YouTube seems to removing the timer from Android App.
• The new ad format hasn’t been officially announced yet.

YouTube has long been known for its ads. The video streaming platform has a range of ads starting from sponsored recommendations to full ad segments.

Even the way ads appear on the platforms has different patterns, some appear before and some during videos.

There is no denying that these ads help keep the platform free for users who don’t wish to pay for YouTube Premium.

However, we also can’t deny that these ads sometimes can be a bit frustrating. And they are more annoying especially when they appear back-to-back.

YouTube usually allows users to skip ads after a few seconds with a countdown timer indicating when the “Skip” button will appear. Unfortunately, it seems that the timer might be disappearing.

Some users on the desktop noticed a grey rectangle covering the Skip button. (Screen recording credit – Android Police)

Recently, YouTube users have noticed changes to the way ads are displayed. Specifically, some desktop users reported that instead of seeing the familiar countdown timer before the Skip button becomes available, a grey rectangle now covers the Skip button until it’s ready to be used.

This change was initially thought to be part of a limited test. It now appears to be rolling out more widely.

On the Android app, a similar change was spotted, although this version doesn’t include the grey rectangle.

The key difference was that the countdown timer was also missing, making it harder for users to tell when the ad could be skipped.

This tweak seems designed to make users think an ad is unskippable since the Skip button isn’t immediately visible. However, once the button appears in the corner, it’s still easy to spot.

The playback seek bar for ad segments also continues to show the duration of the ad, so users can still see how long the ad will last.

While this change hasn’t been officially announced, it could become a standard feature on YouTube. For now, it seems to be part of a broader test, and there’s no word yet on whether YouTube plans to roll this out permanently.

FAQs

Q1. What changes have YouTube users noticed with ad display?

Answer. Recently, YouTube users have noticed changes to the way ads are displayed. Specifically, some desktop users reported that instead of seeing the familiar countdown timer before the Skip button becomes available, a grey rectangle now covers the Skip button until it’s ready to be used.

Q2. How has the ad display changed on the YouTube Android app?

Answer. On the Android app, a similar change was spotted, although this version doesn’t include the grey rectangle. The key difference was that the countdown timer was also missing, making it harder for users to tell when the ad could be skipped.

Q3. Is the new ad display format a permanent change on YouTube?

Answer. While this change hasn’t been officially announced, it could become a standard feature on YouTube. For now, it seems to be part of a broader test, and there’s no word yet on whether YouTube plans to roll this out permanently.

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