Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube has responded to users who are accusing it of trying to hide the ad skip button.
- The company says that the button still appears after five seconds of playback.
- It appears the firm is making adjustments to how certain elements are presented on the player during ads.
Having the video you’re watching on YouTube get interrupted by an ad is not great. But at least you have the option to skip the ad after a certain amount of time. Recently, some users accused YouTube of attempting to hide the skip button by obstructing it with black rectangles. YouTube has now responded to the accusations.
In a statement sent to The Verge, YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun denied the allegations, stating that the company is not removing the skip button. “On skippable ads, the button appears after 5 seconds into playback, as always,” Falodun told the outlet.
As for why users have been reporting seeing black rectangles and a missing countdown timer, it appears YouTube is adjusting how some elements are presented on the player. The platform is “reducing elements on the ads player,” according to Falodun. This way users “can engage more deeply with the ad through a cleaner experience.” Falodun adds that on mobile and desktop, viewers may see a progress bar instead of the countdown timer they’re accustomed to seeing.
YouTube has made it clear after its crusade against ad blockers that it wants you to watch ads. However, it appears it’s not going as far as blocking the skip button to get you to do so. While subscribing to YouTube Premium would make all of this irrelevant, the rising prices of subscription services, including Premium, continue to make it a hurdle average users may not want to jump over.
