YouTube Music Redesign: Search Moves to Bottom Bar.

YouTube Music is undergoing a redesign on its Android app, moving the Search functionality to a new, more accessible position on the bottom bar. This change is currently being tested and has not yet been rolled out to all users.

Previously located in the top-right corner, the magnifying glass icon is being replaced. The new Search button, which now incorporates the functionalities of the old "Explore" page, is a two-tap action located on the bottom navigation bar. This change is designed to improve one-handed use of the app.

A Shift in YouTube Music UI Design.

The redesign sees the familiar magnifying glass icon for search being removed from the top of the screen, where it was previously nestled between the notification bell and the user's profile avatar. This is a deliberate shift in user interface (UI) design, moving a core function to a more reachable location for single-hand use.

The new "Search" button occupies a spot on the bottom bar, effectively replacing the compass icon that previously led to the "Explore" page. This strategic move enhances usability and consolidates two previously separate features.

The New "Search + Explore" Experience.

The new "Search" page is more than just a search bar; it's a unified hub for discovery and content search. It combines the full functionality of the old "Explore" page, presenting users with a search bar at the top, along with voice and song lookup shortcuts. Below this, users will find the curated genre and mood categories they were accustomed to on the "Explore" page. This integration streamlines the user journey, allowing for a seamless transition from browsing for new music to searching for a specific track.

One key aspect of this new design is the "two-tap" action. While the old search bar was instantly ready for text input upon a single tap, the new button on the bottom bar requires a second tap on the search bar itself to open the keyboard. The app will include a small introductory prompt to guide users through this change, explaining the new "Search + Explore" functionality and the need for the extra tap to begin typing.

Accessibility and Future Implications.

The update also extends the reach of the search feature, making it accessible from within the "Samples" section of the app. This consistency across different parts of the app's interface contributes to a more cohesive and user-friendly experience.

This redesign aligns with a broader industry trend toward bottom-bar navigation, which is particularly beneficial as smartphone screens continue to grow. By bringing crucial controls within easy reach of the thumb, Google is responding directly to the practical needs of its users. This change, while seemingly small, represents a significant refinement in the app's design, prioritizing user comfort and efficiency. It showcases Google's ongoing commitment to evolving its user interfaces to meet the demands of modern mobile habits.

YouTube Rolls Out Limited Video Downloads to Free Users.

Key Highlights.

• Free YouTube users can now download videos, but only at low-quality resolutions like 144p and 360p.
• The new download feature does not include music videos, which remain a YouTube Premium exclusive.

YouTube is testing a major change to its platform by bringing a previously exclusive YouTube Premium feature to free users: video downloads. This update, which appears to be a limited rollout, allows non-paying users to download videos for offline viewing directly from the app, but with several key restrictions.

The new functionality has been spotted by users on Reddit, and we have also checked, confirming that the "Download" button is now appearing for some free accounts. While this is a welcome addition, it's important to note the major differences from the full-featured download capability available to Premium subscribers.

For free users, the download quality is significantly limited to lower resolutions, primarily 144p and 360p for most of the videos. This is a stark contrast to the 1080p and 720p options available to Premium members. Furthermore, the ability to download music videos remains an exclusive perk for YouTube Premium subscribers. This is likely due to licensing agreements and royalty payments to artists.

This new download feature, despite its limitations, is a notable change for free users who want to watch videos without an internet connection, such as during travel. While the quality may not be ideal for all content, it's a useful tool for podcasts, tutorials, or other videos where high definition is not a priority.

It's a clear move by Google to offer a taste of a Premium feature to a wider audience while still encouraging users to upgrade for the full, unlimited experience, which includes ad-free viewing, background play, and high-quality downloads. The company has not yet officially announced the feature, but its gradual rollout suggests it may become a permanent part of the free YouTube experience.

In a related update for paid subscribers, YouTube is also expanding its AI-powered search carousel for Premium users, adding another layer of smart features to the platform.

YouTube Expands AI-Powered Search Carousel for Premium Users.

Key Takeaway.

• YouTube tests an AI-powered search carousel for faster, visual content discovery.
• Available to U.S. Premium users via YouTube Experiments.
• Designed to make video discovery faster and more visual for topics like shopping, travel, and activities.

Still scrolling endlessly for the perfect video? YouTube has just made discovery smarter and faster. The platform is rolling out its AI-powered search results carousel to even more YouTube Premium users across the U.S.—and it’s looking like a slick upgrade.

First introduced in June, YouTube Expands AI-Powered Search Carousel for Premium Usershis experimental feature appears at the very top of certain search results, especially those related to shopping, travel, or local experiences. Instead of sifting through countless thumbnails, you’ll now see a visually rich row of curated videos—each wrapped with a concise, AI-generated topic description. Think of it as your personalized highlight reel based on what you’re querying, like “best beaches in Hawaii.” YouTube’s interface becomes cleaner and more useful, cutting straight to the content you’re after.

How To Try YouTube Carousel Feature.

If you're using YouTube Premium in the U.S. on the mobile app (iOS or Android), give it a go while the feature is live through August 20—that’s the current window YouTube has opened up for wider testing. To opt in, head to your YouTube Premium New Features page and enable the carousel experiment. If all goes well, this smart search tool might roll out to more regions or even non-Premium users later on.

Steps to use Carousel Feature in YouTube:

Step 1. Open the YouTube app on your mobile device (iOS or Android).

Step 2. Ensure you're signed in to a YouTube Premium account — the carousel is currently limited to Premium subscribers in the U.S.

Step 3. Search for a topic that typically triggers the AI carousel — especially queries like shopping, travel, or “things to do in [location]”.

Step 4. Look for the AI-powered carousel at the top of the search results. It will feature:

• A large highlight video that matches your query.
• Below it, a row of curated thumbnail videos related to your topic.
• An AI-generated text snippet summarizing the search topic.

Step 5. Interact with the carousel:

• Tap the large video to play it directly.
• Tap any thumbnail to watch that specific clip.

For Viewers: You get a cleaner search experience and faster discovery, especially useful when planning trips or shopping.

For Creators: AI-powered positioning inside carousels may offer more visibility, but only if your content matches AI-curated trends.

For Marketers: Videos in travel, shopping, and local themes could see a spike in views—AI is essentially elevating heavy-hitting, relevant content.

YouTube’s AI search carousel showcases how generative tools can simplify discovery—bringing the best clips front and center, with less effort. Stay tuned, because if testing is successful, this feature could become a standard across platforms.

YouTube Updates Profanity Guidelines & Deploys AI to Identify Teen User.

Key Takeaway.

• YouTube relaxes profanity rules, allowing limited strong language in monetized videos.
• New AI tech will detect teen users and auto-enable safety features starting August 13, 2025.

YouTube has announced a dual rollout: updated profanity rules for creators under its Advertiser-Friendly Guidelines, alongside AI-powered age estimation technology to identify teen viewers and automatically enforce protections.

Looser Profanity Rules for Ad Monetization.

YouTube is loosening its stance on strong language in monetized videos. Under the revised guidelines, profanity include stronger language such as the f-word may still be eligible for ad revenue, depending on placement and frequency. This offers creators more flexibility, particularly when language is used for artistic or expressive purposes.

While still discouraged early in a video, profanity beyond the first 7 seconds may no longer automatically disqualify a video from monetization. This shift reflects YouTube’s increasingly nuanced approach to content that balances realistic dialogue with advertiser comfort.

AI-Driven Teen Identification & Automatic Safeguards.

Simultaneously, YouTube is implementing an AI age estimation system in the U.S., set to begin rolling out on August 13, 2025, to automatically detect users under 18—even if they misreport their birthdate. 

If the AI flags an account as underage, YouTube will activate existing protections for teens:

• Disabling personalized ads
• Enabling digital well-being tools: screen time reminders, bedtime alerts
• Restricting repeated exposure to sensitive or body-image content
• Blocking age-restricted videos unless the user verifies they are over 18 

Users mistakenly identified as teens can still contest the decision by verifying their age through government-issued ID, credit card, or selfie.

YouTube says it will initially test the system with a small group in the U.S. before a broader rollout, and closely monitor its performance.

Important Update for Creators.

These two updates together mark a shift in YouTube's efforts to balance creator freedom with safety and brand trust:

The relaxed profanity policy offers creators more flexibility while maintaining advertiser-friendly standards.

AI-based teen detection enables broader enforcement of protections without relying on user honesty or manual reporting.

Creators, especially those targeting younger audiences or using strong language, should understand these changes. Teen users are now subject to stricter content delivery protections regardless of what age they enter during sign-up.

YouTube Trials Reddit-Style Threaded Comments for Premium Subscribers.

YouTube is rolling out an experimental threaded comment interface reminiscent of Reddit’s nested replies to its Premium users on Android and iOS. The update aims to improve discussion clarity by visually connecting original comments with their responses. This version of YouTube’s comment stream remains active for Premium subscribers until August 14, giving YouTube time to assess its impact before considering a broader rollout.

Key Takeaway.

• YouTube is testing threaded comments with nested replies for Premium users on Android and iOS until August 14.
• The update aims to improve conversation clarity by visually linking original comments with their replies.

Previously, YouTube’s experimentation with threaded comments was limited to a small test group and represented early feedback. The new iteration, expanding to all Premium users, shows clearer visual cues linking main comments to replies and even replies-to-replies. This structure makes it easier for users to follow a conversation’s flow rather than scrolling through a flattened comment list.

Despite the improvements, user reactions are mixed. Some welcome the change, saying it brings “a 1000000% upgrade” to readability. Others question the need for such changes on a premium tier or feel the design lacks full Reddit-like thread cohesion, not extending to deeper branches of discussion.

Credit: YouTube/New

How to Enable Threaded Comments

Step 1: Subscribe to YouTube Premium – Ensure your account includes the Premium plan.

Step 2: Join the experiment – Go to Profile → Your Premium Benefits → Try experimental new features → Comment Threading.

Step 3: View threaded comments – Once enabled, open video comments on the Android or iOS app to see nested replies along with connecting thread indicators.

This streamlined process invites Premium users to help YouTube evaluate whether threaded comments enhance discourse or clutter the interface.

YouTube aims to learn from this limited trial and determine whether threaded comments should be widely deployed. Community input during the experiment phase will play a key role in future decisions. Other potential enhancements, like collapsing threads, deeper nested views, or extending the feature beyond Premium it might follow depending on user feedback and engagement data

YouTube Launches A/B Testing for Video Titles in Studio.

Key Takeaway

• YouTube now allows creators to A/B test video titles in Studio to optimize engagement and click-through rates.
• The new “Test & compare” tool lets users experiment with multiple title variants, using watch time data to pick the best one.

YouTube is rolling out a thoughtful update to YouTube Studio, empowering creators with the ability to A/B test video titles separately from thumbnails. This enhancement builds on YouTube’s existing thumbnail testing and aims to boost content performance through data-driven choices.

In a recent announcement, YouTube confirmed that a subset of creators now has access to the “Test & compare” tool, which allows them to experiment with multiple title variants for a single video. The platform will present these versions to different audience segments, tracking metrics like watch time to identify the most compelling title before fully committing to one.

This update is significant because more engaging titles can substantially increase click-through rates (CTR) and overall viewer retention. Social Media Today highlights that creators, particularly top-tier channels with dedicated teams, spend hours crafting and refining both titles and thumbnails. YouTube’s built-in testing mechanism means creators can now validate their instincts with actionable data.

Historically, YouTube released its thumbnail A/B testing feature in 2023 and later expanded it to more creators in 2024. With this title testing rollout, creators gain a more holistic optimization suite to maximize their videos’ reach and growth.

As A/B title testing becomes more widely available, YouTube promises to integrate analytics directly into Studio, giving creators real-time insights into which titles resonate best. The company aims to refine the feature further before a broader launch for all users.