YouTube is adding even more TikTok-like features to Shorts, including a new “Clear Screen” mode that removes icons and text from the video you’re watching. In a blog post Thursday, YouTube says it’s replacing the “thumbs-up” button with a “heart” icon, and introducing a new option that lets you watch shorts at 2x speed.
As YouTube notes, you can speed up the video by pressing the edge of your screen and lifting your finger when you want it to return to normal speed. You can lock the speed at 2x by pressing and holding the player and swiping down. Another change allows you to mute viewing by tapping the video and selecting the “Mute” button.
These new additions make Shorts even more like TikTok, which for years has had a similarly named “Clear Mode” — a feature that removes captions, icons, and even usernames from your screen. TikTok already offers a way to speed up videos, and lets users “like” videos by pressing the “heart” button.
With these updates, YouTube is removing the “Dislike” button. It is encouraging users to share their feedback with the platform by selecting the “Not interested” and “Don’t recommend this channel” options from the three-dot menu.
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