New video capture and upload interface rolling out to the YouTube Android app

An update rolling out to the YouTube Android app revamps the upload workflow on mobile and makes it much more convenient to add a video to the service. The most immediate visual change is the video icon that replaces the generic file upload icon on the FAB in the Home tab.

The new video icon can also be seen in the Account tab. Tapping it reveals a new interface for uploading videos. In the past, it would bring up the generic Android file picker. One benefit of the old UI, however, was the ability to select videos from specific folders, like recent and downloads.

Now, users are presented with just a grid of all the videos on their device and a live video preview on the top of the screen. Tapping it will open up the video recording interface. Once finished, they can replay the clip, cancel, or send it to YouTube. From there, users will be taken to YouTube’s video editor where they can add titles, descriptions, and change the privacy settings.

The new feature is being rolled out as part of a staged update. The YouTube Android app is known for rolling out new features and even entirely different interfaces this way. Overall, the new capture and upload interface is much more convenient and will likely encourage people to upload more videos.