New Delhi: YouTube has recently rolled out a new feature that is going to enable the viewers to hide the recommendation pop-ups which appear at the end of the videos, addressing one of the platform’s most common user complaints. The company has also announced that the users will be going to see a ‘hide’ button in YouTube, which is on the top right corner of the video players whenever the end-screen recommendations appear. Tapping it will remove the pop-ups for the current video, giving viewers an unobstructed view of the closing moments. If the users want the recommendations back, they can tap Show.
YouTube clarified that the option applies only to the video being watched, not across the entire platform. End-screen recommendations are often used by creators to promote other videos or encourage subscriptions. It has long frustrated viewers by covering the final seconds of content. The latest feature is especially designed to reduce distractions and make it easier to focus on the video itself. The company also said that the change was made in response to the users’ feedback, noting that many viewers wanted more control over how they experience content.
While some of the creators have feared that the change might reduce engagement, YouTube stated that its testing showed only a 1.5% decrease in views from end screens when users have the option to hide them. Subscriptions were largely unaffected, with less than 0.05% of channel subscriptions coming from the now-removed hover-to-subscribe watermark feature. Importantly, creators will still be able to add end screens to their videos. Ensuring they retain the promotional tools while giving viewers more flexibility. The latest hide button option, YouTube is also removing the Subscribe button that appeared when hovering over the video’s branded watermark. The company explained that the dedicated Subscribe button already exists below the player, making the watermark feature redundant.
