YouTube TV for Android borrows the controversial picture-in-picture mini-player from YouTube. Previously, the mini-player was docked at the bottom of the app, just like the primary YouTube app, which is now switching back to the old-school approach.
The new mini-player design for YouTube TV’s Android app floats a PiP window at the bottom of the screen. This includes a play/pause button, 15-second rewind and forward buttons, and a button to close the window. Users can also pinch-to-zoom the mini-player.
This change is puzzling, as Google faced a lot of backlash earlier this year when it introduced a similar floating mini-player design for the main YouTube app. Many users reported glitches and issues with the new layout. In response, YouTube recently reverted back to the original stationary mini-player at the bottom.
Now, the same controversial design is being implemented in the YouTube TV app. Hopefully, the experience will be smoother and more polished this time around. Otherwise, YouTube TV users may join the chorus of those unhappy with the floating mini-player.
It’s unclear why Google is bringing this unpopular change to another one of its video apps. Perhaps the company believes the design has improved, or is simply standardizing the experience across its platforms. But YouTube TV users may not welcome the disruption to the app’s previous layout.
