Key Takeaways
- We published an article last week concerning the missing skip ad button on YouTube.
- Google reached out to us to clarify that the button had not been removed, but had been changed.
- There is now a progress bar instead of a five-second countdown timer.
Google wants to clarify some questions around the skip ad button that seemingly disappeared from YouTube last week. Google insists the button is still there, while YouTube focuses on a cleaner aesthetic.
It was only a few days ago that we first reported on user observations that YouTube was hiding the skip ad button. It had first been noticed by Reddit users who posted videos of a gray rectangle obscuring the button on desktop. Then one of our intrepid journalists found the skip ad button was replaced on the mobile app with a countdown timer.
Google reached out to us after we published that story
YouTube Ads Communication Manager Oluwa Falodun reached out to us to clarify what we were seeing.
“On skippable ads, the button appears after 5 seconds into playback, as always,” Falodun told us in an email. “Viewers on the mobile and desktop experience may see the countdown timer now appear as a progress bar on the bottom of the screen.”
YouTube is focusing on a cleaner and more seamless viewing experience. The platform aims to minimize distractions and encourage users to “engage more deeply with the ad creative,” Falodun added.
The skip ad button is still there after all
It seems the countdown timer is indeed gone for many, replaced by a subtle progress bar to indicate the time remaining until the skip ad button becomes available. The idea is that users would watch the ad rather than count down with the timer. Other than that, Google maintains that the skip ad button’s functionality remains unchanged.
Google did not address the reports of a gray rectangle covering the skip ad button. But the removal of visual cues (like the countdown timer) could cause confusion among users. There’s a fine line between enhancing the user experience and confusing people.
YouTube is continuously updating to align with changing viewer needs. Most updates are released quietly and on an annual basis. It remains to be seen how users will adapt to this new design. Some may be okay with it, while others will immediately suspect Google has found a new way to force them into watching ads.
The skip ad button is still there, at least for now. You just need to suffer through the obligatory five-second wait, indicated by a small status bar.