YouTube Homepage Redesign Brings Video Queue and Option to Mute Channels

Google-owned streaming service YouTube is among the most popular in the world, offering free content from creators the world over. The service is now looking to improve the browsing experience for viewers, and has rolled out a redesign for the homepage that brings new features, including easy discovery of information related to content, a new video queue, and the ability to mute channels that you aren't interested in. The updated homepage for YouTube is now rolling out for desktop browsers and tablet apps for Android and iOS.

The first change in the redesign for YouTube sees video tiles on the homepage get larger, with higher resolution previews and improved information. Users will now be able to see channel icons below videos previewed on the homepage, letting them more easily identify channels and content creators from the screen itself.

Another big change comes with the addition of a video queue option, which lets users set the queue of which videos to play in order. You can also continue to add videos to the ‘Watch Later' list, which remains saved in your profile even after you close the browser. You can also choose to mute a channel, by selecting the ‘Don't recommend channel' option. This will remove it from recommendations going forward.

YouTube has also committed to bringing a feature that has already been rolled out for Android - selecting your favourite topics and customising your home feed - to desktop and tablets as well, as reported by 9to5Google. Finally, YouTube has also made its terms of service a bit easier to read, highlighting the fact that the new terms will go live on December 10. Some of these new terms will relate to age restrictions for use, as well as offering more clarity on how YouTube uses your content and comments.