YouTube is reportedly testing changes to gesture controls for full-screen videos, but not all users like it.

While YouTube remains one of the best streaming services, there is no doubt that the app has made some poor decisions recently. For example, longer ads, ads that appear during the pause screen, and a price increase for Premium have put off more than a few people. All of these changes, while annoying, at least do not affect the way the app operates.

However, a recent post to X by Tushar Mehta, displaying possible changes to gesture controls to full screen video on Android devices, could cause some real frustration

according to the post, users, be able to scroll between videos by swiping up and down while watching a video in full screen horizontal orientation. If this change is accurate, YouTube videos will function more like YouTube shorts or Instagram reels.

Now, this wouldn't be a problem, but the problem is that swiping up and down is already a gesture.

YouTube's thought process here is understandable, as it allows for a more seamless viewing experience without having to move from full screen to select the next video. On the other hand, while taking Muscle Memory into account, I can also see why this would frustrate more people. I am already frustrated just imagining trying to exit full screen and moving on to another video and another set of ads.

However, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as there are many factors that can influence what people see. For example, a recent post on X suggested that YouTube may discontinue the production date and play count for videos on the home screen. Reaction to the news was negative, but YouTube quickly issued a statement that this was in no way planned and that the poster was encountering this phenomenon through a specific browser extension.

For the time being, we can only wait and see how the best Android phones will be affected by this change.