YouTube’s latest experiment is testing the removal of both view counts and upload dates from the homepage upon initial load.
Currently, this test is limited, but early feedback ranges from comments like, “I don’t think this will help,” to more critical takes like, “Downgrade of the century.”
As expected, YouTube hasn’t offered any official reasoning behind the potential change, though theories include a cleaner user interface and an attempt to prompt users to engage with content that hasn’t yet gained viral status.
YouTube is continually adjusting its interfaceTesting is where these changes begin, for better or worse.
This latest experiment follows a busy period at Google’s streaming platform. Some changes, like the updated miniplayer, received positive feedback.
However, other tweaks, such as hiding the Skip Ads button, sparked a lighthearted debate between Android Police and Google, with Google clarifying that the button isn’t hidden, just tucked away to minimize ad distraction.
Further interface adjustments include the contentious repositioning of the dislike/save buttons on YouTube Shorts (or as some jokingly call it, YouTube Pants) and the addition of hyperlink comments, seemingly to drive more interaction.
Lighthearted critiques aside, the removal of view counts could encourage users to look through a wider range of videos, as popular content currently tends to draw immediate attention on the homepage.
Hiding upload dates is more puzzling since avid YouTube viewers often seek out the latest videos.
That said, there may be a case for hiding upload dates to encourage interaction with slightly older yet still relevant content. However, this only works if YouTube’s algorithm doesn’t start promoting content that is well past its relevancy.
At this point, YouTube hasn’t disclosed its intentions behind the test or indicated how close it is to a potential rollout. If the initial user response is any indication, YouTube might want to tread carefully with this feature.
While some social media users are open to the removal of view counts, and others are indifferent about the absence of upload dates, very few have expressed outright support for this mysterious experiment.
