Three apps from Google already support redesigned media controls for Android 13, and a fourth should be YouTube over the coming weeks.
YouTube for Android version 17.32.32 is currently in beta and targets API 33. Most people will notice the updated player when sending videos, while it’s also important for YouTube Premium subscribers who use background playback (audio only).
Compared to YouTube Music, Google Podcasts, and even Chrome, the change is minimal for the main YouTube app. There is of course the circular square pause/play button, while the progress bar spans almost the entire width of your screen.
The other available button is Next (although Back appears in the playlist) to the right of a slider, while YouTube has removed the “x” to quickly close a notification or end a casting session. This particular loss is rather unfortunate because swiping just removes the notification instead of terminating what’s playing. Finally, due to the more prominent placement of the play/pause button, you see slightly fewer video titles.
YouTube 17.32.32 with these modern controls UI is currently in beta, but should hit the stable channel (currently 17.30.x) over the coming weeks for all Android 13 users. Major streaming apps like Spotify (or smaller apps like Pocket Casts) hasn’t been updated yet, but there’s still time before a consumer release on Pixel phones.
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