YouTube Music has started rolling out its refreshed Now Playing screen on Android and iOS after initial testing back in November.
One of the biggest changes is the removal of the Song/Video toggle from the top of the screen. Instead, the Cast button still sits next to the three-dot menu. Below the track title and artist name (tapping the title still takes you to “Related”), you’ll now find the main control row. While this shift doesn’t really affect one-handed use, it does place the controls slightly higher on the display.
A redesigned scrubber comes next. It has a more squared look, ditches the old playhead, and thickens up when you interact with it.
Other controls are now grouped into a more compact carousel. After the usual thumbs up/down, comments, and save buttons, you’ll see Lyrics. The familiar row of tabs at the bottom is gone, with the Song/Video switcher now moved here, followed by Share, Download, and Radio options.
The Up Next section has also been redesigned. It features a new drag handle that lets you quickly see what playlist or radio station you’re listening to. You can tap to open it instead of swiping, revealing a dual-pane layout that shows several upcoming tracks at once. This queue can be expanded, though it disappears once you leave Now Playing.
Lyrics and Related sections now open as sheets that can be expanded fully. At the top, they include basic playback controls along with details of the current track.
Podcasts benefit from the same layout changes as songs.
This redesigned Now Playing screen is rolling out gradually via a server-side update. If it hasn’t appeared on your device yet, try force-stopping the app from its info page or clearing it from your recent apps list to refresh it.
