YouTube Launches Redesigned iOS App With Video Editing Tools

Feedback to the new design has been mixed, with a few users complaining that the new release removes the sidebar from the previous build that provided convenient access to all the app’s functionality.

The app has a completely redesigned interface built with Google’s “Material Design” Aesthetic, that was first introduced more than a year ago. Users will find that the new interface is pretty straightforward, making new content easy to find. The hamburger menu is not available now. “You can also create fun videos on the fly with new in-app editing tools”, Google posted on app’s updated description. Aside from simply tapping the icons, users can swipe left and right to navigate across the different sections. With the limited amount of time I’ve had with the app, it’s fair to say that anyone that’s serious about uploading their videos to YouTube will continue to use dedicated editing software. This app will be available for download for all platforms including iOS, Android and the Web.

Finally, the Account page provides access to the user’s account options, including watch history, uploaded videos, purchases and “watch later” list. The update brings a bit of Android’s material design to iOS, and in the process it makes the YouTube app for iOS look a lot like the Android version of the app. Among the option now are the ability to trim video to the desired parts, along with adding music for a soundtrack and applying video filters.

Meanwhile, iOS 9 upgraders point out that YouTube missed the opportunity to add support for new iOS features like Picture-in-Picture, plus SlideOver and Split View (multi-tasking features for select devices).