YouTube is finally giving viewers more control over their experience by letting them hide the pop-up recommendations that appear at the end of videos.
From now on, when an end screen shows up, you’ll see a new “Hide” button in the top-right corner of the video player. Tap it, and the pop-ups will disappear, for that video only. If you change your mind, a “Show” button will bring them back.
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The change addresses one of the most common frustrations with end screens: they often block the final moments of a video. By letting users minimize them, YouTube hopes to make watching less distracting and more focused.
At the same time, YouTube is removing the hover-to-subscribe button from branded watermarks, noting that the Subscribe button already sits right below the player.
For creators, YouTube says the impact will be minimal. Tests showed hiding end screens reduced clicks by less than 1.5%, and the watermark hover accounted for less than 0.05% of channel subscriptions. Creators will still be able to add end screens as usual.
These updates roll out in response to direct user feedback, proof that sometimes, small tweaks can make a big difference to the viewing experience.