YouTube Tests New Feature Replacing Fullscreen Gesture with Scrolling Videos

YouTube is testing a new feature on mobile that is likely to be unpopular among users. The update repurposes the vertical scroll gesture in fullscreen mode to navigate between videos, much like how YouTube Shorts or platforms like TikTok and Instagram work. This change, first spotted by user Tushar Mehta on X, replaces the current functionality where swiping up in fullscreen shows suggested videos, and swiping down exits fullscreen.

With the new feature, swiping up in fullscreen will take you directly to the next suggested video, while swiping down will return you to the previous video rather than exiting fullscreen. To exit fullscreen, users would need to swipe all the way back to the original video or click the button in the corner.

Although this feature is still in the testing phase and hasn’t been replicated on all devices, it appears to be another push by YouTube to keep users swiping through endless videos, increasing engagement. While this works for Shorts, it may feel out of place for standard, long-form videos that users typically intend to watch individually rather than randomly scrolling through suggestions.

This change could also confuse users who are accustomed to exiting fullscreen by swiping down, as the new feature will switch videos instead. YouTube is likely gathering user feedback on this feature and depending on the response, it could either be scrapped or rolled out more widely, regardless of user sentiment.