YouTube Mobile Gets Animated Loading Screen, Inspired by Old CRT TVs

YouTube for mobile users has recently introduced a new animated loading screen that was initially seen on Android TV in late 2022. The update is part of an identity overhaul that aims to make the platform more engaging and recognizable. The new loading screen for YouTube on Android smartphones features a loading bar icon with a red progress bar and the familiar YouTube play-head. The animation was inspired by old CRT TVs, and the play button icon pops into view while the actual play icon slides in to complete the YouTube logo.

However, unlike the Android TV counterpart, the animated loading screen for YouTube on mobile devices lacks the accompanying startup sound when cold-opening the application. It is also interesting to note that "YouTube" does not appear in text form alongside the classic logo.

Although the startup process has been trimmed, this new loading screen creates consistency when using YouTube on mobile or Android TV. While every second counts when opening apps on smartphones, it makes sense to adjust the animation here. The loading screen only appears if the YouTube application has not been used for a long period or has recently been updated.

Unfortunately, the loading screen is not yet available on YouTube for iPhone and iOS devices. It remains unclear whether this feature will be available on Apple hardware, given the different restrictions on app opening animations on the iOS platform.