All the ways YouTube doesn’t feel like a Google app

Abner Li | Nov 3 2023 - 1:30 pm PT

Especially after the last round of updates, YouTube decidedly does not feel like a first-party Google app.

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While there is an animated splash screen (like the Workspace apps), it takes a second too long to complete, and I always feel like I’m waiting for it. In comparison, other implementations are done in a blink of an eye and – if anything – I’m more likely to miss it.

Once in the app, there’s a short bottom bar that, at this point, looks out of place compared to the taller Material 3 style that leverages pill-shaped indicators to note the current selection. That said, one point in defense of the minimal height is the miniplayer. As media apps, YouTube, YT Music, and YT TV have to display playback controls just above the persistent navigation element. A tall bottom bar with another row of buttons above it would just cut into the viewing space for content.

Speaking of buttons, YouTube maintains its own iconography that uses thin lines and is something I more associate with the iOS 7-era design language than Google’s. The icon set is straightforward enough, but it’s overly minimal and doesn’t fit in with Android or Google, which uses bolder outlines.

With the recent changes, YouTube introduced a “You” tab that combines the Library and account menu. Your profile picture appears next to the other bottom bar icons. It looks unbalanced and makes YouTube feel more like a social app. Of course, YouTube is a social network, but I’d argue that more people use this particular client for content consumption than creation.

As part of this change, your profile avatar no longer appears in the top-right corner. This is a big departure from how every other Google app conceptually works. Instead, the account switcher appears in the You tab, which is also where you have to go to access settings.

A secondary effect sees the search icon move to the very right position, and this has been extremely disruptive to muscle memory. I keep opening the notifications feed because I’ve trained myself to avoid the account menu in the corner when I just want to look things up.

Another inconsistency is the non-system share sheet across YouTube and YTM. Chrome and Google Photos switched with Android 14, and I hope YouTube will follow because its own approach doesn’t really add any value.

Finally, there’s the lack of Dynamic Color. Even as an always-on dark theme user, I’ve grown to expect some level of tinting in my apps as part of device personalization and cohesiveness. The YouTube apps just seem inconsistent even as I don’t mind AMOLED black. (Meanwhile, some people really want a light theme for YouTube Music.)

(~~Dis~~honorable mention: YouTube’s Chrome Custom Tab flips the close and overflow menu buttons. Inconsistency nightmare.)

This more independent, platform-agnostic design language does help YouTube maintain its apps on Android, iOS, and the web. However, I’d argue the clients are beginning to diverge too much from common practices that do have their benefits.