YouTube Removes Subscriptions Tab From Bottom Bar on Mobile
YouTube has rolled out a series of significant updates to its mobile applications on Android and iOS, shaking up the platform's navigation structure by removing the long-standing Subscriptions tab from the bottom bar.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
A Major Navigation Shift on Mobile
YouTube is making a number of changes to its Android and iOS apps with the launch of custom feeds, including moving Subscriptions out of the bottom bar. According to details reported by 9to5Google, the platform is kicking off a series of updates designed to shape a more seamless Home experience.
As part of this mobile interface redesign, the platform is removing the Subscriptions tab from its traditional fourth position in the bottom navigation bar. Instead, it has been moved to the top bar on the Home tab following a testing period that started earlier this year.
Breaking Muscle Memory After Nearly a Decade
In the new layout, the "Subs" option appears in the second position right after "Home," marked with a red underline that will likely take some getting used to for regular users. This shift will break a considerable amount of muscle memory for mobile users, given that Subscriptions had occupied a spot in the YouTube bottom bar for nearly a decade since its introduction in 2017.
Following the Subs button, users will now notice new dedicated feeds for Live, Music, and Movies & TV. The Movies & TV feed will specifically appear only if the user has active subscriptions, such as Primetime Channels. Another notable upside of this layout overhaul is the complete removal of YouTube’s older navigation drawer.
Introduction of Custom Feeds
More broadly, this interface revision coincides with the official launch of custom feeds, which also synchronize and function on the web version of the service. This functionality allows individuals to describe what they want to watch using their own words.
To create a custom feed, users can tap the "+" icon located at the top of their Home feed and type out a topic, list of channels, or a specific vibe. For example, a user might prompt the system to help them unwind after work with guided meditations under ten minutes, resulting in a newly generated feed tailored explicitly to those parameters.
Storage Limits and Regional Availability
These newly generated custom feeds will display as top tabs directly within the main feed right after Home and Subs, enabling viewers to jump back into them whenever desired. Each feed also features a prompt box at the top to modify or refine the criteria.
Regarding storage capacity, free tier users are permitted to save up to three active custom feeds, whereas subscribers to YouTube Premium can save up to eight. At launch, these custom feeds are rolling out first on mobile devices and desktop platforms in English for signed-in viewers based in the United States, with a wider international rollout planned for the future.
Sources
- 9to5GoogleYouTube removing ‘Subscriptions’ bottom bar tab on Android, iOS after nearly a decade
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