YouTube has announced a new update on its Comments Panel on Desktop. The announcement was made in a video on the platform’s Creator Insider channel.
Currently, YouTube’s comments displays below a video on the watch page for desktop users. It’s different for mobile and tablets users, as the comments are shown in a teaser which then open in an engagement panel when tapped.
With the new update, the new desktop comments stream will open to the right of the playback window, rather than below. This happens when the video is expanded.
As shown in YouTube’s screenshot above, users, rather than scrolling downwards to view the comments in response, they will soon be able to scroll to the right of the main screen to view the comments.
According to YouTube, the reason for this change is to allow viewers to continue watching the video while browsing through the comments in order to provide more context in a more unified experience. As a side benefit, the new UI will be more consistent across mobile and desktop platforms.
It’s logical, and skimming through the comments is a breeze now that the video is playing back. It will require a bit of adjustment, and many users will likely be annoyed by the change in the beginning, as it will necessitate new app usage patterns.
However, it might be useful for providing context for responses, as the playback would be synchronized with the notes while scanning them. Users would be able to use arrows and other emoji characters to start interaction between the comment and the playback.
Even though it appears to be a key development, users are generally wary of change, especially when it pertains to features that has been present in YouTube for decades like this. It’s just a matter of time and this will prove to be a useful addition.
From this week onwards, YouTube says the new video comment format will roll out to desktop users.
