YouTube has been listening to its users, and for once, the feedback loop actually worked. After years of viewers complaining about those pesky end-screen popups cluttering up their viewing experience, Engadget reports that YouTube will now let viewers dismiss the popups and video suggestions that appear at the end of videos with a new "Hide" button. While these end screen popups are a standard part of most YouTube videos (Engadget), viewers increasingly wanted the ability to dismiss them and "focus on the content they're watching" (Engadget). It is a small change that addresses a widespread frustration, and it signals that YouTube is prioritizing user experience over pure engagement metrics.
How the new Hide button actually works
Here is the gist. You can tap or click a new Hide button in the top right corner of YouTube's video player to dismiss end-screen elements (Engadget). There is a catch, the setting only applies to the current video you are watching, so you will need to hit Hide again on the next one (Engadget). Not the global toggle many hoped for, but a solid start.
The implementation makes sense from YouTube's perspective. They are giving viewers control without completely undermining creators' promotional strategies. As YouTube frames it, end screens might improve a channel or video's metrics, but when they get in the way of watching, you should be able to hide them (Engadget).
YouTube also streamlined the interface by removing the "Subscribe" button that appeared when you hovered your mouse over a video's watermark (Engadget). Fewer accidental hovers, fewer surprise UI popups, cleaner finish.
The per-video approach might feel tedious at first. It also reflects a clear design choice. You might want to see what else a creator has to offer at the end of one video, then prefer a clean exit on the next.
Why this change matters for creators and viewers
Before you start worrying about your favorite channels, YouTube shared some reassuring numbers. Letting users hide end screens led to less than a 1.5 percent decrease in views from end screens (Engadget). And less than 0.05 percent of all channel subscriptions come from the hover-to-subscribe feature on the watermark (Engadget).
What does that tell us? Those end cards we keep clicking past were not doing much heavy lifting anyway. Creators building real audiences are doing it through strong videos and authentic connections, not forced overlays that break the moment.
None of this prevents creators from adding end screens or watermarks if they want to (Engadget). It simply gives viewers the choice to engage with those elements or hide them. A fair compromise.
The likely winners here are creators who focus on content quality over popups. If a viewer keeps end screens visible by choice, that is a stronger signal of interest than a stray click.
The bigger picture: YouTube's evolving user experience
This update gives users more control without blowing up the ecosystem that keeps creators and the platform running. For years, frustrated viewers turned to workarounds, browser extensions like "Enhancer for YouTube" (Quora) to turn off end cards, or adblock extensions to hide elements (Quora). Now there is an official option that acknowledges the annoyance while keeping the core tools intact.
It also fits a broader shift in expectations. People want granular control and fewer surprises in the UI, and platforms that ignore that risk losing attention to ones that do not. YouTube seems to be reading the room.
The Hide button lines up with LinkedIn reports of YouTube's broader July 2025 platform improvements focused on content quality and user safety. The platform is tightening monetization, requiring videos to be original and valuable (LinkedIn), while reused content copied from other sources is no longer allowed (LinkedIn). Give users more control, surface better content, let choice do the sorting.
What this means for your viewing experience
Bottom line, this is a win for viewers, even if it is not perfect. You will need to manually hide end screens on each video, which is a small chore, but it lets YouTube gauge satisfaction and creator impact before making bigger moves.
If cluttered end screens have driven you up the wall, the relief is immediate. No more whack-a-mole clicks when you are trying to replay a moment. No more suggestions crowding the final seconds of a video you actually want to see. It is a small quality-of-life tweak that adds up over time.
The minimal hit to creator metrics suggests that strong content and real interest beat interface friction. Creators who thrive in this setup will be the ones building trust, not just stacking overlays.
For YouTube, this shows a willingness to evolve based on feedback. The Hide button might look like a tiny UI change, yet it points toward more control in the hands of viewers. In a world where platform decisions often feel opaque or pushy, this one feels refreshingly aligned with what people have been asking for.
The takeaway is simple. User satisfaction and creator success do not have to clash. Better experiences keep people around, and those people support the channels they genuinely enjoy. That is a healthier loop than forcing engagement through popups, and it hints that YouTube is playing the long game.
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