YouTube is changing the way videos are displayed on its app for televisions and gaming consoles. The platform has decided to showcase Shorts at the top of users’ home screens, replacing the traditional content from their subscriptions.
This update, initially announced a month ago, removes Shorts from the subscription feed; however, it curiously elevates those videos to a prominent position within the subscriptions list. Over the years, short video formats have surged in popularity across many platforms, particularly on mobile devices. Nonetheless, this trend has drawn criticism for emphasizing content that is often more about trends than substance. Many online users have humorously dubbed these clips as “brain rot,” as Shorts frequently deliver lower-quality material compared to conventional videos.
It’s not surprising that many viewers are unhappy with the recent changes to YouTube for TV. Numerous users have raised concerns about the prominence of Shorts, citing challenges in navigating their feeds since they now need to scroll down to find standard videos. Moreover, the vertical format of Shorts seems better suited to smartphones than to larger displays such as televisions.
At this time, there are no available options for customizing this experience, leaving users unable to disable Shorts or rearrange the sequence of videos in their feeds. The absence of a feature to revert to the previous layout on YouTube for TV has only added to users’ frustrations. This modification could also negatively affect content creators on the platform, as the reduced accessibility to their videos via the subscriptions tab might lead to declines in view counts, comments, and overall engagement with their channels.
The newly updated YouTube interface is being rolled out across various devices, including TVs, consoles, Google TV, and Apple TV. For those using Android TV, exploring SmartTubeNext—a free, open-source YouTube client that facilitates ad-free viewing—may be worth considering.
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