YouTube’s latest change on mobile swaps the familiar “Trending” tab with a new “Explore” tab. As of Friday, it’s available to all users on iPhone and iPad (and Android) following a lengthy test. It hopes to make great content from popular categories easier to find.
It seems like YouTube is constantly tweakings its design and algorithms to ensure users don’t miss out on videos they might find interesting. After all, with so much content on offer, it’s near-impossible for even the most dedicated YouTube addicts to keep track of their favorite creators — and discover new ones.
YouTube wants to help with the new Explore tab. It has three main functions, all of which should make using the app a more enjoyable experience.
YouTube’s new ‘Explore’ tab
Its first function, YouTube says, is to provide easy access to destination pages. You’ll find buttons for things like Music, Gaming, News, and Movies — with more to come later. Each will present you with the hottest videos in each category. There’s also a “Creator & Artist on the Rise” section.
Here, you’ll find exciting new YouTube stars in the making, and their most recent uploads. They might not be the biggest names just yet, but YouTube has identified them as promising talents — and they might just become your new favorites. See what they’re up to, connect, and join their communities.
Photo: YouTube
Finally, there’s the Trending section. That’s right — Trending hasn’t disappeared completely. If you discovered new videos simply by browsing what’s big right now, you can still do that. It just take an additional tap and scroll.
A long time in the making
YouTube started testing the Explore tab with a small number of users way back in 2018. Over time, it used feedback to improve the feature and ensure it would be a worthy Trending tab replacement. Almost 20 months later, the change is ready to roll out to everyone.
If you don’t already see Explore inside YouTube on your devices, it’ll be there “over the next few days.”
