Skip to main content

YouTube debunks viral homepage layout that hides video view counts and upload date

A screenshot of the YouTube homepage with videos that don’t show upload dates or view counts has been shared across social media this week, but YouTube says the new layout isn’t official.

Shared by VidIQ on Twitter/X and amplified by Dextero, a layout of the YouTube homepage showing no upload dates or view counts was shown in a screenshot and claimed to be in testing. No parties sharing the screenshot clarified how many users were actually seeing the altered layout.

YouTube, though, has confirmed this is not something being tested.

Rather, the official @TeamYouTube account on Twitter/X responded to the viral tweet which had racked up over 17 million views saying that this layout may happen “if viewers are watching YouTube with certain browser extensions enabled” and encouraged users to report the behavior if they saw it without browser extensions enabled.

The exact extensions that may cause this behavior are not mentioned, and as the original source of the screenshot was never revealed, it’s hard to know what extension might be causing the problem. In any case, YouTube’s response makes clear that this layout is not being tested.

More on YouTube:

Follow Ben: Twitter/XThreads, and Instagram

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.


Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications