YouTube has announced the launch of a new feature that gives users the option to hide end screens, which typically appear in the final seconds of videos and display links to other clips or invitations to subscribe. This step comes in response to viewer feedback who felt these recommendations hindered viewing and obscured important details.
How to activate the feature?
YouTube provides a new "Hide" button in the upper right corner of the video player. Clicking it immediately hides the recommendation boxes, while a "View" button appears to bring them back if the user wishes. However, the feature is temporary, as viewers need to repeat the process when moving to another clip.
According to the official support document, YouTube tests revealed that hiding end screens reduced the number of views by less than 1.5%, while the option to swipe to subscribe via watermarks contributed less than 0.05% of subscriptions.
These figures indicate that the impact on content creators will be very limited, while the viewing experience will be significantly improved.
Additional Improvements
In addition to the new feature, the platform has also decided to remove the subscribe button associated with watermarks that appeared when scrolling across the screen. This move reflects YouTube's continued efforts to simplify the user interface, following a series of previous updates that included restrictions on ad skipping and experimenting with artificial intelligence tools.
Launching and Availability
YouTube also explained that the hide button was tested globally between March and July, and the feature is scheduled to be rolled out more widely soon. This will enable viewers to eliminate "cluttered endings" from videos through a small, simple tool that could quickly become an essential part of the daily user experience.
