Recently, some YouTube users complained that the skip button and timer were obscured by a black square, while others noted that the skip button appeared after the countdown time had expired.
According to a report from Android Police, the countdown to skip does not appear at all on mobile.
These adjustments led to disagreement among users, with some expressing dissatisfaction with the increased difficulty in bypassing advertisements.
Some users took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to address the same.
An X user, TheBrightKnight, expressed his disappointment and wrote, “YouTube has stopped showing me how many seconds until I can press the skip button when there is an ad. I don’t like it. Also feels like a method of increasing the time before skip without transparency.”
Further, he said, “I hope they are just split-testing this. And I hope this gets reversed.”
YouTube has stopped showing me how many seconds until I can press the skip button when there is an ad
I don’t like it.
Also feels like a method of increasing the time before skip without transparency.
I hope they are just split testing this.
And I hope this gets reversed pic.twitter.com/I2cA8WuMc8
— The Bright Knight (@TheBrightKnite) October 5, 2024
However, in a statement to The Verge, YouTube clarified that it is not removing the skip button. It’s just experimenting with some elements of how ads are displayed.
YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun told The Verge, “YouTube is not hiding the skip button. On skippable ads, the button appears after five seconds into playback, as always.”
Further, he explained that the video-streaming giant is removing some elements of the ad players to enhance the viewer’s experience and help them engage more deeply with the content. One of the updates is that the skip countdown timer will now be displayed as a progress bar at the bottom of the screen.
Recently, the company also announced an increase in the maximum duration of shorts. Instead of one minute, a short can now be up to three minutes long.
