YouTube faces complaints over hidden Skip button; company denies tampering with ad interface

Some YouTube users have reported issues with the platform's ad interface, claiming that the familiar "skip button" is either missing or hidden by blackout squares, sparking concern among netizens.

While some users said the skip button failed to appear altogether, others mentioned it showing up after the usual countdown.

In response, YouTube has denied intentionally hiding the skip button.

A company spokesperson clarified that the button still appears after five seconds, as usual. However, YouTube did confirm that it is experimenting with reducing certain elements on the ad interface to improve user engagement with ad content. This includes changing the appearance of the countdown timer, which will now show as a progress bar at the bottom of the screen.

The confusion may be due to glitches as the platform rolls out these new interface changes. Users across platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) have reported the issue, but YouTube insists that the changes aim to streamline the ad experience rather than obscure it.

Separately, YouTube announced an increase in the maximum duration for Shorts videos, extending them from one minute to three minutes, giving creators more flexibility with their content.

For now, the platform has not provided further explanation regarding the missing skip button issue, but the changes seem to be part of ongoing tests that may be limited to certain regions.