YouTube Rolls Out New “Hide” Button for End Screens, Cleans Up Video Experience

YouTube is giving viewers more control over their screens with a brand-new “hide” button designed to remove distracting end screens at the close of videos.

End screens — typically used by creators to promote other videos, encourage subscriptions, or link to external sites — have often been criticized by viewers for obscuring the final moments of a video. With the new feature, a small hide icon in the top right corner of the player lets users instantly remove these elements, keeping only the video visible.

If viewers change their mind, a “show” button brings the overlays back. The option applies only to the current video, resetting once a new video starts.

At the same time, YouTube is also tweaking the desktop experience by removing the subscribe button that appeared when hovering over a channel watermark. The platform says the goal is to streamline the interface while keeping other subscription options clear and accessible.

According to YouTube, both updates stem from viewer feedback requesting cleaner, less cluttered playback. Tests showed the changes won’t significantly affect creators: hiding end screens reduced overall interactions by less than 1.5%, while the hover-to-subscribe feature drove fewer than 0.05% of total subscriptions.

In short: viewers get a smoother experience, creators barely lose engagement. A rare win-win in the streaming world.