YouTube is experimenting with its ad interface by hiding the “skip button.” Some users have noticed that the button is completely absent, while others see it appearing only after the countdown duration ends. The video streaming platform has clarified that no changes are being made to the skip button. Instead, YouTube is testing a streamlined ad interface to enhance the overall ad viewing experience. In another update, the company has decided to extend the maximum length of Shorts from one minute to three minutes, allowing for more content in each video.
YouTube’s ad interface has seen various changes over the years, but the current design remains quite standard. It features both skippable and unskippable ads. Unskippable ads display only a bottom bar that shows the time the ad has played and the remaining duration of the ad. In contrast, skippable ads include a few additional elements. Skippable ads feature a countdown timer that lasts between 15 to 30 seconds, indicating how long viewers must watch the ad before they can skip it. Once the timer hits zero, the skip button becomes available, allowing users to return to their video promptly. However, some skippable ads do not display a countdown timer at all, enabling users to skip them immediately.
A Reddit user shared a screenshot showing an instance where a black square overlay obscured the skip button and timer, rendering them invisible despite their presence. These occurrences are not isolated. Numerous users on X have reported similar experiences of not being able to see the skip button.
YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun clarified to The Verge, “YouTube is not hiding the skip button. On skippable ads, the button appears after 5 seconds into playback, as always.” The spokesperson emphasized that the video streaming platform is limiting elements on the ad player to enhance viewer engagement with the ad content. As part of this update, the skip countdown timer will now be displayed as a progress bar at the bottom of the screen.
The absence of the skip button reported by users could potentially be a glitch related to the implementation of this update. However, until YouTube offers an official explanation for this change, the matter remains unclear.
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