YouTube Like button will have additional animations

YouTube has introduced a new visual feature that displays a short animation after clicking the “Like” button on a video. The update is part of the platform’s October redesign, aimed at improving the interface and viewer engagement with content, according to The Verge.

Currently, around twenty different animations are available, each tailored to the theme of a specific video. For example, in motorsports videos, the “Like” button turns into a smoking wheel, while in educational videos, it becomes a flickering light bulb. There are also options for sports videos, travel content, and animal videos.

Designer Andreas Storm, who compiled all the visual effects into two short clips on Platform X, notes that YouTube has not yet implemented similar animations for videos featuring children.

YouTube has updated its YouTube Premium subscription features, adding “enhanced” audio and new playback controls.

When watching music videos, you can now select “High Quality” audio with a bitrate of 256 kbps. Previously, this option was only available in YouTube Music or in an experimental version on the YouTube homepage, but it is now available to all users on Android and iOS.

YouTube Premium users can now play videos at up to 4x speed (in 0.05 increments). Previously, this feature was only available on Android and iOS, but it is now available in the web browser.

A new feature, Jump Ahead, allows you to skip uninteresting parts of a video. It is now supported on Smart TVs and game consoles, along with mobile devices and the web browser.

YouTube Shorts has added a picture-in-picture mode, which lets you play short videos in a small window while you browse other content, and a smart download option that automatically saves your favorite videos based on your viewing history.

This update is rolling out gradually, so it won’t be available to some users right away.

In Ukraine, a YouTube Premium subscription starts at 99 UAH/month for an individual plan, 149 UAH/month for a family plan (for up to 5 people), and 59 UAH/month for students.