After being announced recently, the YouTube app for TVs is widely rolling out a few changes including a dedicated Shorts feed that lives at the top of the subscriptions page.
There’s been a heavy emphasis on Shorts over the past couple of years, and that includes within the TV experience. Recently, YouTube announced that Shorts would be getting a dedicated row in the subscriptions feed on the TV app, a change that’s now widely rolling out.
This new feed appears right at the top of the subscriptions page at all times and refreshes with new content as it becomes available. The only Shorts that appear here are from the channels you actively subscribe to.
YouTube first announced this feature during the last week of April, and it has since widely rolled out.
We first spotted the new Shorts experience on a Google TV device last week, and we’ve since observed it on many other Google TV devices we’ve tested across multiple accounts. Many users on Reddit have also confirmed the rollout across other devices including Apple TV and other smart TV platforms.
And it’s a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, this new, dedicated feed removes Shorts content from the rest of your subscriptions feed. But on the other hand, it also sits on top, takes up over half of the available space (blocking video titles and obscuring half of the thumbnail) until you scroll down, and cannot be turned off.
Top comment by Carl Thomas
I never intentionally watch Shorts, and because they're forced on me, I don't really engage more than the half a short that's forced on me before I click away to what I came for.
Look forward to its death.
What do you think about this change? Are you seeing it on your TV? Let us know in the comments below.
Other changes now rolling out to the YouTube app for TVs include a “From your top channels” shelf and more.
More on YouTube:
- YouTube tests new Premium subscription made for just two people
- YouTube tests blurring video thumbnails for ‘mature content’
- YouTube marks 20th birthday, teases TV app redesign & custom Multiviews
Damien Wilde contributed to this story.
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