Try the new features in the Youtube app

The Youtube app for phones and tablets has received a major update that refreshes its design and adds some useful new features.

Notable changes include a new Ambient mode that subtly changes the colour of the app’s background to match the video you’re watching. Intended to make your viewing experience more ‘immersive’, Ambient mode is activated automatically when you turn on Youtube’s dark theme.

To do this, tap your profile icon in the top-right corner of the app and select Settings, then General. Tap ‘Appearance’ and choose ‘Dark theme’ or ‘Use device theme’ (if you have dark mode enabled on your phone or tablet). To disable Ambient mode, press the Settings cog in the top-right corner of the video player and tap ‘Ambient mode’ to switch it off for all videos.

Another new feature is ‘pinch to zoom’, which lets you zoom into a video to view it in greater detail by reversepinching your screen with your forefinger and thumb. When you let go, the video remains zoomed in, until you pinch it to zoom out again.

You can also now long-press a video to use ‘precise seeking’ options. These let you quickly navigate content by sliding your finger left or right to move backward or forward by a second or two. You can also double-tap with two fingers to skip a ‘chapter’ in a long video. Additionally, Youtube has tweaked the layout for channel pages to provide separate tabs for Videos and Shorts (see screenshot below left). This allows you to skip its shorter clips when you want to watch more in-depth content – or vice versa.