YouTube Broadly Launches Smaller Ad-Skip Button

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YouTube’s been messing around with different ad formats for a while now. Remember those unskippable ads and back-to-back ad segments? Yeah, not everyone was a fan. But YouTube, they just keep pushing to see how much ad stuff we can handle.

Recently, they started messing with a new, tinier button for skipping ads. This change is now spreading like wildfire. We first reported this in August, and 9to5Google spotted it via Search Engine Land. YouTube was testing a smaller “Skip ads” button.

This new button was like a little pill, about two-thirds the size of the old rectangular one. They even made the “A” in “Ads” lower case to shrink the button down even more. It was like YouTube’s old “Skip Ads” button went on a diet.

But, here’s the kicker. Android Police reported, and we confirmed, that this little button has morphed into one that just says “Skip.” They’ve ditched the word “ads” completely. The new button’s spot hasn’t changed though. It’s still in the same place as the old one and keeps its ghost-like transparency.

This redesigned “Skip” button is popping up on all sorts of devices and in different regions. It’s on the web and mobile. Some folks might miss the bigger, more noticeable rectangular button, but this smaller one isn’t too shabby. Especially when you think about the alternative – a string of unskippable ads or a player that doesn’t let you skip ads at all.

The new YouTube “Skip” button is here. It’s a clear sign that YouTube’s still playing around with ad formats. They’re walking a tightrope, trying to balance ad revenue and keeping us users happy. Ads help keep the lights on at YouTube and pay the content creators. But they also need to keep the user experience friendly.

The smaller Skip Ad button shows that YouTube is trying to find that sweet spot. Plus, they’re also giving their Premium users a break from ads.