Overview
- The update, which YouTube announced on June 25, began a gradual global rollout that will deliver the new Shorts player features to users and creators at different times.
- A new Clear Screen mode temporarily hides all on‑screen icons and text so the video fills the display for a distraction‑free view.
- Shorts now support 2x playback with a hold‑to‑speed gesture and swipe‑down to lock at double speed, plus a tap‑to‑pause flow that exposes a mute button and an adjustable Shorts timer.
- YouTube replaced the thumbs‑up with a heart reaction and removed the Shorts dislike button in favor of ‘Not Interested’ and ‘Don’t recommend this channel,’ while historical dislike data stays visible in YouTube Studio but will stop updating by the end of June.
- Creators will need to shift how they measure performance toward likes, watch retention and swipe‑away metrics because the change alters feedback signals and brings Shorts more in line with TikTok and Reels as the format continues to drive massive viewership.