YouTube is a bit of a weird outlier when it comes to Android app design. While there are some interface inconsistencies among all Google apps, YouTube has long stood out as the app with a much shorter app header, a dated gray status bar, and more diversions from the norm. While its header retains its height for now, YouTube has at least finally added a seamless white status bar to its light theme.

The change seems to come as part of YouTube version 16.36.35, which is currently rolling out on the Play Store. It's possible that a server-side switch is involved, too, though, so it might have rolled out to your phone already. Interface-wise, the update really doesn't change much more than the outdated status bar across all of the app, including the settings screen, search, your account details, and more. The only place where the app retains the darkened status bar backgrounds is channels, which come with individualized colorful app bars as opposed to the white found everywhere else. It additionally deserves noting that dark mode has had a matching dark gray status bar background color for a long time.

Left: Old status bar. Middle: New status bar. Right: Channel status bar.

With this banal interface update taking years, we're left wondering how long it will take the streaming service to update its interface to match Android 12's Material You design, if it ever does — the app has some very distinct design elements compared to other Google products, after all. However, YouTube has been relatively quick to adopt a dark theme following the Android 10 update, so it's possible that its developers are speeding up things in the design department a bit.

Check the Play Store for the YouTube update if it hasn't hit your phone already. Should it not be available for you yet, you can also get the update over at APK Mirror.

Thanks: Austin