YouTube has recently made several updates for Android users, introducing a new mini player and a redesigned settings menu that significantly improves the mobile experience. Additionally, Google has launched a smoother video player for Google Drive, designed with the Material You aesthetic, and expanded Pixel Buds’ usability with a new web-based control app. Here’s a breakdown of these updates and how they impact users.

YouTube’s Miniplayer Redesign

YouTube’s latest update for Android, starting with version 19.41.39, has rolled out a redesigned mini player. The new look feels more modern and intuitive, resembling Android’s picture-in-picture (PiP) feature. Instead of the old mini player docked at the bottom of the screen, the new version allows for more flexibility and control.

In the updated mini player, users will find basic controls like play/pause, along with 10-second rewind and skip buttons. These are located within a light or dark theme bar at the bottom. One of the key improvements is the ability to move the mini player to any of the four corners of your screen, making it easier to multitask. You can also pinch the video window to expand it, taking up the full width of your screen when needed. To close the window, simply tap the top-right corner.

The transition between this mini player and Android’s system PiP when you exit the YouTube app is now smoother, ensuring a seamless viewing experience.

New Settings Menu

In addition to the miniplayer, YouTube has revamped its settings menu on mobile. The new layout features distinct section headers like Account, Video and Audio Preferences, Help and Policy, and Developer Preferences (though this section remains mostly empty). The icons for these sections are now outlined in a thinner style, giving the settings page a cleaner look and making navigation more intuitive for users.

The Sleep Timer feature, which was announced earlier, is also rolling out to more users. However, the fine-tuning of playback speeds hasn’t yet made its way to all devices.

Google Drive’s Material You Video Player

Google Drive is also undergoing some changes. Previously, Drive’s video player was nearly identical to YouTube’s. Now, a new player that aligns with the Material You design language is being rolled out, offering a more polished and modern look.

The new video player introduces a Material 3 slider with a vertical line acting as the playhead, instead of the usual circular design. This playhead is separated from the progress bar, which is white rather than red. Other controls include a large play/pause button on the left and fast-forward/rewind buttons, which allow for 10-second skips in either direction. You can also see the elapsed and total time next to these controls.

On the right side of the player, options for adjusting the volume, closed captions, playback speed, and fullscreen viewing are neatly grouped together in a rounded rectangle container. Google’s goal with this redesign is to offer cleaner lines, more intuitive controls, and a less cluttered viewing experience.

This updated video player will roll out over the coming weeks to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and personal Google account users.

Pixel Buds Web App

In an effort to make Pixel Buds more versatile, Google has introduced a new web-based companion app that allows users to manage their wireless headphones from any device, including Chromebooks, Macs, and Windows PCs. This new feature frees users from relying solely on a smartphone to access settings and adjust their Pixel Buds.

Using this web app, users can now control important features like active noise cancellation, sound profiles, and even in-ear detection. One of the most useful new features is the ability to install software updates directly from the web app, meaning your smartphone doesn’t need to be nearby to perform these tasks.

The web app, accessible at mypixelbuds.google.com, is part of Google’s larger initiative to make Pixel Buds compatible across more devices. This comes just days after Google released the Gemini assistant to all Pixel Buds, adding another layer of functionality to the headphones.

Conclusion

These updates across YouTube, Google Drive, and Pixel Buds demonstrate Google’s continued commitment to refining user experiences. YouTube’s improved miniplayer and settings redesign provide a smoother, more user-friendly interface. Google Drive’s Material You video player brings a fresh, modern look, while the Pixel Buds web app enhances the flexibility of managing wireless headphones on various platforms. Together, these changes offer significant quality-of-life improvements for Android and Google users alike.