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YouTube tests hiding dislike counts, since everyone out there's awful
In an effort to prevent targeted harassment
YouTube is no stranger to experimenting with new features, regardless of whether a proposed update is popular with its users. Its latest test is bound to draw in some negative attention, with major changes in the works for video ratings. In the coming weeks, YouTube will begin experimenting with hiding public dislike counts from view to help prevent harassment campaigns targeted towards creators.
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The YouTube app is only two years younger than Android itself, but it has always lacked some features compared to the service's website. Among them is the ability to sort a channel's videos and playlists, which you could historically only view by date added. A new A/B test finally gives the app the same sorting options that have been available on the website for a long time.
It's incredible how feature-packed Gboard has become over the years with integrated stickers, GIFs, Google Search, clipboard management, and much more, so Google is trying to make some options more accessible. At the moment, the company is testing a function that gives people GIF and sticker suggestions when they add emoji through the keyboard.
The YouTube app is constantly under construction with Google changing up little things here and there all the time. The comment section in particular has come under scrutiny this year, with Google even hiding it behind a button during a test this June. The latest experiment in turn makes comments more visible. YouTube is putting the section right below the video description for some as part of an A/B test.
Google is constantly working on little usability improvements across all of its apps, and that's no different for Calendar. Code sleuth Jane Manchun Wong peeked into the application and managed to activate vertical scrolling in the month view, replacing the horizontal navigation that's been with us for years.
Google wouldn't be Google if it didn't have a bazillion A/B tests running at the same time. This is the case for its Android apps, but of course, also for its web services. Google Images, in particular, appears to receive slightly tweaked layouts for results every once in a while. Now, a bigger change is on the horizon, as we've seen first reports of a new results page with a dark background for previews and responsive design.
Have you been hoping for a YouTube app that would more effectively sear your retinas when you open it in a dark room? Well, Google appears to be testing a new UI that will do just that. Multiple people are seeing a new YouTube app interface that drops the red elements, going for an all black and white look.
We're back again with some more changes/tests in the Facebook app spotted by you sharp-eyed readers. The more obvious of the two is a redesign of the Like, Comment, and Share buttons, but we also have some users who are seeing an option in the App Settings to cache some videos for offline viewing. Good stuff.