YouTube is doubling down on its TikTok clone strategy. Shorts is getting a clear screen mode that removes icons, captions, and text from the video you’re watching — matching TikTok’s clear mode feature that’s been around for years.
The thumbs-up button is being replaced with a heart icon, and a new 2x speed option lets you fast-forward through Shorts. You can speed up by holding the edge of your screen, or lock it at 2x by swiping down on the player. There’s also a new mute option accessible by tapping the video directly.
YouTube is removing the dislike button entirely. Users who want to give negative feedback can use the Not interested and Don’t recommend channel options in the three-dots menu instead.
These changes make Shorts functionally closer to TikTok than ever. Whether that’s what viewers wanted is another question, but YouTube clearly isn’t backing away from the short-form video fight.
