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YouTube Music Deploys Server-Side Update for Split-View Now Playing Interface

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YouTube Music Unveils Redesigned Now Playing Interface

The update introduces a new split-view layout, allowing users to see their playback controls and upcoming queue simultaneously.

YouTube Music has rolled out a significant server-side update, bringing a completely redesigned Now Playing interface to its mobile apps. The update, which features a split-view or dual-pane layout, is widely rolling out to users on Android version 9.14 and iOS version 9.15. The changes relocate several key features and modify various interface elements, including the progress bar and media type selector.

Update Availability and Activation

The redesign is a server-side update, meaning it does not require a new download from app stores. It is reported to be widely available for the specified app versions on both Android and iOS platforms.

Users can trigger the new interface to appear by dismissing the current playback queue and force-stopping the YouTube Music application on their device.

Core Interface Redesign

The central change is the introduction of a new split-view layout for the Now Playing screen.

  • Dual-Pane Design: The new view simultaneously displays cover art, playback controls, and the Up Next queue.
  • Navigation: Users can swipe anywhere on the player interface to slide it up to a halfway position, revealing this split-view. A second upward swipe reveals the previous fullscreen player design.

Updated Interface Elements

Several specific components of the Now Playing screen have been altered.

  • Media Type Selector: The toggle for switching between "Song" and "Video" modes now uses icons instead of text labels.
  • Cover Art: The album or video cover art appears slightly larger than in the previous interface design.
  • Progress Bar: The seek bar has been modified from a thin line to a thicker container. This container is reported to expand further when a user interacts with it to scrub through a track.

Relocated Features

The "Lyrics" and "Related" sections have been moved from their previous positions within the Now Playing view.

  • Lyrics Access: The lyrics feature is now accessible via a button or option located after the thumbs up/down rating capsule.
  • Related Content: The related content section can be opened by tapping on the song title and a right-facing chevron.
  • Up Next Queue: The bottom section of the Now Playing screen is now dedicated to displaying the upcoming queue of tracks.

Unchanged Elements

Reports indicate that the placement of the main playback control buttons (play/pause, skip) and the surrounding button carousel has not changed from the previous design.

Development Background

According to the provided information, development work on this redesign began in the previous year.