YouTube is getting its biggest makeover to date.
The company’s iconic logo is getting a refresh, with the focus shifting away from the word “Tube” onto the play button for the first time. The updated logo consists of the YouTube icon – a red tube with a white screen and a red play button – followed by the YouTube wordmark in black. The logo also has a new typeface and color scheme.
According to the company, the new logo allows for a more flexible design that works better across a variety of devices, even on the tiniest screens. This is because when space is limited, for instance on smartphones, the brightened icon can be used as an abbreviated logo, which can be seen more easily.
Here’s what the YouTube icon will look like, for context:
The new logo and icon are part of a bunch of other new features that the company plans to unveil in the upcoming months, to highlight its evolution since it first started 12 years ago. YouTube is no longer just a singular website supporting video, but a suite of different apps that span across multiple platforms for everyone from music fans and TV lovers to gamers.
"... We'll bring a new level of functionality and a more consistent look across our desktop and mobile experiences," said Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Product Officer.
The app is getting a number of new features too, including a cleaner redesign, where the header is now white and the navigation tabs have been moved to the bottom. This makes the tabs easier to reach with your thumbs.
The app will introduce various playback controls as well, including one that uses gestures. In the future, you will be able to jump between videos with just a swipe of your finger, swiping left to watch the previous video, or right to watch the next one.
It will eventually allow users to speed up and slow down video playbacks too, similar to what you can already do on desktop.