Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube is testing a new desktop layout with much larger video thumbnails.
- Users report seeing as few as two videos per row, though it depends on screen and zoom settings.
- Frustrated users are turning to browser extensions to restore the old layout.
If your YouTube homepage suddenly looks like it was built for toddlers or TVs, you’re not imagining things. Many users are seeing dramatically enlarged video thumbnails on desktop, with fewer videos per row and an overall layout that feels zoomed-in.
This is just the latest example of YouTube tinkering with the UI, and complaints have spiked on platforms like Reddit. One thread titled Why are the thumbnails suddenly huge? has drawn more than a thousand upvotes, with users chiming in to share screenshots and frustration.
While that opening poster only sees two thumbnails per row, the number you’re likely to see depends on things like the size of your monitor, the resolution, and whether you’re zoomed in/out. I see three thumbnails per row on my WQXGA display, which I can extend to four if I zoom out to 67%. This is one solution, although the video titles are then pretty tough to read. When I expand YouTube on my connected 42-inch 4K TV, I see four thumbnails per row.
YouTube undoubtedly has its reasons for conducting these tests, and they’re never going to please everyone. However, this comes across as a step backward for those who like YouTube’s browsing experience. The mood on the aforementioned Reddit thread was that this is yet another example of once-great platforms gradually becoming less usable in the pursuit of profit or engagement metrics.
For now, there’s no official way to opt out or toggle between layouts and no indication of whether the larger thumbnails will be rolled out more widely. However, it isn’t the first time that YouTube has tested this design change, and another Reddit thread railing against large thumbnails from seven months ago may offer some relief. One responder, drawing much praise for the suggestions, advised that you can use add-ons like Control Panel for YouTube, YouTube Tweaks, Tweaks for YouTube, or YouTube Row Fixer to rectify the issue.
