YouTube App Update Brings Better TV Experience and New Features

Google has rolled out a major update to the YouTube app on consoles and Smart TVs, including the Xbox Series X|S.

Shorts Are Now Separated

One of the biggest changes is the separation of YouTube Shorts from regular long-form videos in the "Latest Videos" section.

YouTube Shorts — being vertically oriented — often feel out of place on widescreen TVs. Previously, they cluttered up your feed when you were just trying to watch full-length content. Now, Shorts live in their own section. Dedicated shelves and feeds have been added to improve the Shorts viewing experience without disrupting other content.

What’s New in the YouTube TV App?

Google shared the official changelog, and here’s a breakdown of the standout features:

New Shelves

• Continue Your Search: Quickly return to your last three searches.

• Listen Again: Revisit your top songs from previous searches.

• Live Performances, Remixes & Covers: Discover alternate versions of your favorite music.

• Primetime Channels: Personalized shelf for content from your most watched premium channels.

• From Your Top Channels: Highlights content from creators you frequently watch.

Dedicated Podcasts Tab

The update also adds a dedicated Podcasts tab, making it easier to find and resume podcast episodes directly from your library. 

Shorts Integration (With Better Separation)

• Shorts Row in Watch Next Feed and a Shorts Shelf in the Subscriptions Tab cleanly separate vertical videos from traditional YouTube content.

Loop Any Video

You’re no longer limited to looping playlists — you can now loop any on-demand video through the Playback Settings menu.

Better Preview Experience

• Expanded inline previews now appear across channel pages, subscription tabs, and topic pages.

• Immersive Channel Previews — full-screen backgrounds on channel headers — have completed their rollout, offering a more engaging browsing experience.

For more information, visit the official website.