YouTube Shorts now supports 2x playback speed
26 Jun 2026

YouTube has announced a major update for its Shorts player, introducing a new "Clear Screen" mode and the ability to double playback speed.

The changes are aimed at providing users with a more intuitive experience while watching short-form videos on the platform.

The "Clear Screen" mode temporarily hides all icons and text from the playback view, giving an immersive and distraction-free view of content.

Meanwhile, 2x playback speed is "one of the most requested features from the Shorts community."

Other notable changes in the update
Enhanced controls

The update also brings enhanced controls for Shorts users.

You can now mute a video by "tapping the screen to pause, then tapping the mute icon."

The thumbs-up button has been replaced with a heart icon, providing "a more meaningful way to express when a video truly connects with you."

New options for content filtering
Content preferences

YouTube has also replaced the dislike button with "Don't recommend this channel" and "Not Interested" options in the overflow menu.

The change is aimed at giving users more precise controls to fine-tune their feed according to their preferences.

The company said these options give users more control over what they see and help them better understand their genuine preferences.