Forum Discussion

Psilobite's avatar
Psilobite
Roku Guru
2 years ago
Solved

YouTube app interface change loses functionality

I know this is something Roku can't do anything about, only YouTube can. They recently changed their "Library" section of the app to a new interface. It's now not possible to scroll videos in playlists (including Liked and Favorites) using large thumbnails three at a time. You can now only see playlists in a single vertical column with small thumbnails and can only scroll one item at a time. So, playlists now take three times as long to scroll through, and are hard to see the thumbnails. Also, playlists themselves have been moved from a left navigation pane with small thumbnails and sorted by most recently modified, to a grid with large thumbnails sorted alphabetically.

Most of my viewing on Roku is on the YouTube app, so this affects me pretty badly.

If this upsets you as well, send a message to YouTube like this: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/4347644

This is what I sent:

Regression of functionality in YouTube for TV app (Roku, Playstation, Xbox, FireTV, Smart TV's, et all):

The recent change to the interface of the "Library" section of the YouTube for TV app has two regressions of function:

1) Playlists (including "Liked" and "Favorites") are no longer displayed as a 2 x 3 grid with large thumbnails, able to be scrolled three at a time. They now appear as a single column with very small thumbnails, with four completely visible at a time, and scroll one at a time. Playlists therefore now take three times as long to scroll through them, and are hard to see. This is now the only way to view and use playlists on the YouTube for TV app (including "Liked" and "Favorites").

2) Playlists themselves no longer appear as a left navigation panel with small thumbnails in order of most recently modified appearing first. They appear as a separate screen in a 2 x 3 grid with large thumbnails, arranged alphabetically. It's no longer possible to tell using the YouTube for TV app which playlists have been most recently modified.

Personally, I have many other subscription services that I often neglect due to my YouTube addiction, so these two regressions have given me a renewed interest to stop using YouTube so much and start viewing everything I've been missing on other services.

And that part on the end is true! 😛

  • RokuERey's avatar
    RokuERey
    12 months ago

    Greetings Community users.

    We acknowledge your updates regarding the changes on the YouTube channel. It's important to note that channel management on Roku is handled directly by the channel providers. We do not have control over the changes and updates made to the channel.

    You may want to share this with the channel provider if you need more help. You can contact them at Contact Us - YouTube.

    Best regards,
    Rey

17 Replies

  • Sirius6's avatar
    Sirius6
    Reel Rookie
    2 years ago

    Same exact situation here.  I will be cancelling my YouTube Premium subscription if they don't fix it.

    I have playlists with hundreds of videos in it.  If I want to get to Video #127 they really expect me to click the down button on my remote control 127 times!?!?  Or scroll through and still be able to find what I am looking for?? This is insane.  It's like they don't even use their own app or think things through. 

    Whoever designed this interface should be fired.

    • atc98092's avatar
      atc98092
      Community Streaming Expert
      2 years ago
      Sirius6 wrote:

      I have playlists with hundreds of videos in it.  If I want to get to Video #127 they really expect me to click the down button on my remote control 127 times!?!? 

      Here's a possible workaround for that. Using the FF/Rewind buttons on the Roku remote (the buttons with the two left or two right arrows) will scroll through a list a page at a time. At least that works in a number of other apps that have lists that have to be scrolled through.

      • Sirius6's avatar
        Sirius6
        Reel Rookie
        2 years ago

        Thanks, but it's still impossible to find what I am looking for when so few can be on screen at once.  I don't understand why they would "update" an app to make it absolutely non-functional.  You would think they would user-test these things.  They've ruined the app. 

        Does anyone know if I drop Roku for a different streaming player the YouTube is actually functional?

  • rprebel's avatar
    rprebel
    Newbie
    2 years ago

    They seem to have continued their campaign of making everything worse. Now they've removed the alternate rows in the movies section. All that's left is the Top Selling row. No more recommendations based on actors or genres, and nothing to indicate what's currently on sale. I've bought several movies that were marked down, but now I have no idea how to find them from within the app.

    • atc98092's avatar
      atc98092
      Community Streaming Expert
      2 years ago

      Make sure you complain to Google. They own YouTube and provide the YT app for the different streaming platforms. They are the ones messing up the user interface. 

  • Catlady53's avatar
    Catlady53
    Newbie
    12 months ago

    July 2024, it has changed again.  Where are the like, dislike and settings buttons

    • RokuERey's avatar
      RokuERey
      Retired Moderator
      12 months ago

      Greetings Community users.

      We acknowledge your updates regarding the changes on the YouTube channel. It's important to note that channel management on Roku is handled directly by the channel providers. We do not have control over the changes and updates made to the channel.

      You may want to share this with the channel provider if you need more help. You can contact them at Contact Us - YouTube.

      Best regards,
      Rey