YouTube has finally addressed a long-standing user frustration: intrusive end screens. For years, viewers have been bombarded with recommendations and pop-ups obscuring the end of videos they're watching. Now, a simple 'hide' button offers a solution. Located in the top-right corner of the end screen, this button allows users to seamlessly finish videos without interruption. This change is a direct response to user feedback highlighting the desire for a more focused viewing experience. The impact on creators appears minimal, with YouTube reporting only a 1.5 percent decrease in views stemming from end screen clickthroughs during testing.
This welcome update isn't the only change YouTube is rolling out. The platform is also removing the hover-over subscribe button on desktop channel watermarks, streamlining the viewing experience and avoiding redundancy, as a prominent subscribe button already exists below each video. Both changes aim to enhance user experience without impacting content creators' ability to utilize end screens and watermarks. Creators can still add these elements to their videos, ensuring that the update benefits viewers without limiting creative options. For users, this is a significant improvement, offering more control and a less cluttered viewing experience on the platform.
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Originally published at: https://www.theverge.com/news/784774/youtube-end-screen-videos-hide
