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The YouTube dev team is working on redesigning the mobile app miniplayer experience. Now, the feature will work similarly to a picture-in-picture mode. The tweak appears to be in the testing stage with a limited scope.
Redesigned YouTube app miniplayer to work like a picture-in-picture window
For some time now, the YouTube mobile app has included a miniplayer that appears when you explore other sections while playing a video. Its goal is that you can continue exploring the app without stopping the video playback.
The video miniplayer has had different formats over the years. Currently, its design is a kind of “bar” at the bottom of the UI where the playing video is on the left and both the description (video and channel name) and playback controls (Play/Pause and “Close” buttons) are on the right.
The problem with this format is that the space reserved for the video is very small. Many times, you can’t really fully enjoy it since you can’t make out what’s going on. However, it is still useful to keep it playing while you explore other sections.
As reported by 9to5Google, the YouTube dev team seems aware of this problem and is testing a redesign for the in-app miniplayer that seeks to resolve it.
In the new design, the YouTube miniplayer works as a picture-in-picture window within the app. That is, the video is displayed in the form of a floating window above the UI. The window is resizable and you can move it around the UI, giving you a lot of freedom to decide how you want it to be displayed.
The playing video takes up most of the window, solving the problem described above. Below the video, you will find the playback controls (Play/Pause, fast-forward, and jump back). There is also an “X” button that allows you to close the miniplayer.
A combination of good ideas from previous designs
The YouTube app already had a miniplayer format where the video was the focus. It also looked like a picture-in-picture window but stuck in the bottom right corner of the UI. It was not resizable, nor could you move it, allowing you to only control the playback, return to full-screen mode, or swipe left/right to close the miniplayer.
The new miniplayer design looks like a combination of the good things from previous formats. According to the report, very few users have received it. Being a feature in the testing stage, its massive implementation is not guaranteed. We’re not sure if it’s only being tested on Android phones or if it’s also for iPhone testers.