YouTube began rolling out a completely redesigned video player in the web version, which is strikingly reminiscent of the controversial design style Liquid glass od Applu. Whether it's coincidence or inspiration, it seems that transparent bubbles and rounded shapes are becoming the new standard.
YouTube is changing the player: konec boring classics
The visual appearance of the YouTube player has remained almost unchanged for many years. Design changes are always risky on such a massive platform – some users get used to it, but others unleash an avalanche of criticism. This has been the case in the past, for example, when introducing rounded corners in 2023, or, conversely, during the unsuccessful attempt to redesign the “Related Videos” section.
However, over the past 24 hours, user reports from around the world have begun pointing to a completely new player, which is said to be in testing or is already slowly being rolled out. The new look includes controls placed in separate transparent bubbles , the style and layout of which vary slightly between users.
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Liquid Glass? Inspiration from Applu is glaring
The entire visual style of the new player strongly resembles Liquid glass – a new design language that Apple introduced at iOS 26 a macOS Tahoe. It's a combination of semi-transparent layers, subtle blurring, and rounded edges that feels modern and slightly futuristic. Although this approach was initially ridiculed, it seems to be becoming a trend outside of Apple.
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While some users report more buttons, others see a lighter feel varianty. This suggests that Google is still testing different versions of the layout, possibly introducing the redesign gradually by region or account type.
The new player hasn't appeared on some devices yet, which confirms that it's not a widespread rollout. Still, it's clear that YouTube is abandoning its conservative visual identity and leaning towards design experiments that would have caused a storm of discontent just a few years ago. Only time will tell if the new style will catch on permanently. But if YouTube is also starting to take Liquid glass seriously, then maybe Apple he was just ahead of his time – and others are now following him.
Similar blur effects have been around for years and everyone is constantly playing with them. But calling the change a copy of liquid glass is probably a bit off. Apple the design still fits and who knows what will happen in the end. First shot for power nestal.
Well, on the contrary, I already have this feature Samsung galaxy like OneUI before Apple, so I would say that rather Apple copied Samsung and now Google does