YouTube Shorts – YouTube is rolling out a set of Shorts changes that make short-form even shorter on screen: users can now double playback speed, a new Clear Screen mode hides icons and text during viewing, and Shorts is losing its dislike button in favor of “Not Interested” a
The next time someone hits play on YouTube Shorts, the experience could feel quicker—so quick, in fact, that the platform is building in a setting to make the video run at double speed.
YouTube announced Thursday that Shorts now includes a control that allows users to double their playback speed. The company framed the move as a way to help people “absorb information more quickly or find your favorite part faster.”
At the same time, YouTube is reshaping how viewers react to content. The Shorts dislike button is being removed. Instead of disliking a video, users will have to use “Not Interested” and “Don’t recommend this channel” to help discourage certain kinds of content.
Likes are changing, too. Rather than tapping a thumb’s up, users will now see a heart emoji.
And for viewers who want less clutter while they scroll, YouTube is adding a new “Clear Screen mode.” The feature is designed to temporarily hide “all icons and text from your playback view,” leaving a cleaner screen and removing the floating distractions that often ride along with short-form video.
YouTube says all of these changes are aimed at creating “a more intuitive Shorts experience.” The timing is less precise. The company said the features would roll out over time, but didn’t provide exact dates. Google was also contacted for more information.
That push matters because YouTube came later than many competitors to the short-form race. Shorts launched in 2024, years after TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Still, the platform has built serious momentum. YouTube Shorts averaged 200 billion daily views as of June 2025, CEO Neal Mohan said during his keynote in Cannes last year—though he made clear that YouTube counts a “view” as the very first moment a video is opened.
Earlier this year, a report showed Shorts were increasingly being watched on viewers’ TV screens, with as much as 2 billion hours of such content consumed per month.
YouTube Shorts playback speed Clear Screen mode dislike button removed Not Interested Don’t recommend this channel heart emoji short-form video