Controversial new feature from YouTube: 'Skip ad' button is being removed
YouTube is testing a new feature that changes the ad-viewing experience in its mobile app. The countdown timer and skip button are hidden during the ad, appearing suddenly only after a certain portion of the ad has been watched. This innovation aims to focus the viewer on the advertisement.
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In its latest trial, the online video streaming platform YouTube is hiding the countdown timer and the gray skip button while playing ads in its mobile app. The skip button appears suddenly only after the user has watched enough of the ad.
According to Android Police, the mobile YouTube app now completely hides the countdown timer for some users while an ad is playing. It appears this change was made to push viewers to focus on the ad itself rather than on when they can skip it. Therefore, instead of locking the skip button behind a visible timer, the button appears suddenly once users have watched a specific portion of the ad.
Interestingly, users can still estimate when a YouTube ad will become skippable via the yellow seek bar at the bottom of the video. This subtly provides the necessary information without diverting the user's attention away from the sponsored content.
Like most new YouTube rollouts, this change in how ads function on mobile devices appears to be a limited test. The company has not officially announced it, and not all users have seen this change yet. It remains unclear whether Google will scrap this feature or roll it out to all users.