YouTube Tests New Homepage Design Without Dates and View Counts

YouTube is currently exploring a new design for its website that eliminates the display of upload dates and view counts for videos.

In recent years, the platform, owned by Google, has made various adjustments aimed at removing certain features.

One notable change was the removal of the dislike button in 2021, a move intended to curb targeted harassment of content creators, which was met with considerable criticism from users globally. In response to this, a browser extension was swiftly developed to restore the dislike feature.

On October 28, VidIQ shared insights on social media about YouTube’s trial of a new homepage format that omits both view counts and upload dates.

The shared screenshot displays six videos featuring only the thumbnail, title, and channel name, with no additional information. Typically, viewers could see the view count and a timestamp of when the video was released beneath the channel name.

🚨BREAKING🚨 YouTube is testing a homepage without view counts and dates. pic.twitter.com/UQEobxSVaR

— vidIQ (@vidIQ) October 28, 2024

Following this announcement, a surge of user comments emerged, reflecting a variety of opinions on the proposed changes.

One user remarked, “View counts and dates are essential when choosing between videos on similar topics. I understand the product angle, but this doesn’t improve the experience for users or creators.”

Another added, “I can see the reasoning behind removing view counts, but dates? The recency of a video is often crucial.”

A third comment expressed, “I don’t agree with this. I prefer knowing how long ago a video was published. The view count isn’t my main concern, but if I’m after current info, I’d rather not stumble upon a video from six years ago.”

Nonetheless, some users supported the idea of eliminating view counts and dates, suggesting that it might help certain creators who often see viewers overlook videos with fewer views.

This news follows a recent report that YouTube is also testing a more affordable version of YouTube Premium, which aims to offer limited ads across all devices.

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