New Update Allows YouTube Shorts to Play at Double Speed, Making Them Even Snappier!
YouTube is initiating a variety of updates to its Shorts feature, including an option for users to reduce the length of their short videos.
On Thursday, the Google-owned platform revealed that Shorts users will now have the ability to double the playback speed of their videos. This enhancement aims to help users “absorb information more quickly or find their favorite parts faster,” according to the platform.
In an effort to foster a more positive online environment, YouTube has removed the dislike button for Shorts. Instead of disliking a video, users will need to utilize the “Not Interested” or “Don’t recommend this channel” features to express their preferences against certain content.
In a similar vein, users will now have the option to express approval through a heart emoji rather than a traditional thumbs up button.
Additionally, YouTube is launching a “Clear Screen mode,” which is designed to temporarily eliminate all icons and text from the playback interface, providing users with an unobstructed view of their videos without any distractions.
These modifications are intended to create “a more intuitive Shorts experience,” according to the company. The timeline for when these features will be implemented is unclear, but the company indicated that updates will be introduced gradually without specified dates.
YouTube has not provided additional information beyond these announcements.
Although YouTube entered the short-form video arena later than rivals like TikTok and Instagram Reels—launching Shorts in 2024—it has successfully garnered an audience. By June 2025, YouTube Shorts was reportedly averaging 200 billion daily views, as noted by CEO Neal Mohan during a keynote at Cannes last year. It’s worth mentioning that YouTube counts a “view” as the very first moment a video is accessed.
Earlier this year, reports indicated that an increasing number of Shorts are being viewed on television screens, with viewers consuming up to 2 billion hours of this content each month.
