New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on December 14, 2021) follows:

YouTube, one of the largest video platforms in the world, is presenting a curious bug that changed its behavior on PC for many users.

According to multiple reports, for a few days, all the videos on YouTube (website version) have been opening in a new tab automatically, instead of opening in the same tab (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

YouTube videos are automatically opening in new tab for many users

Users affected by the issue report that it started to occur suddenly. Now, all the videos they select open a new tab, which can be very annoying for users who spend a lot of time on YouTube (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Youtube started to direct any clicks on its home page (and only the home page) to open in new tabs rather than just opening them in that same window tab. So basically if I click on any video, it doesn’t open immediately there but rather opens in another tab. It started a couple of days ago and it just happens just with my google account, I’ve tried this account on a different computer/browser with the same result.
Source

It should be noted that this reportedly occurs only on accounts affected by the glitch. Apparently, when using an unaffected account (or simply no account), the videos open in the same tab.

The thing is, if I log out entirely or login into another google account, youtube videos open in the same tab/window without starting another tab, meaning it works as it supposed to. It also works properly anywhere else but the home page of youtube, i.e in subscriptions, history etc if I click on a video, it opens properly without extra tabs. Again, this started suddenly, I didn’t go into my youtube settings in a long while and haven’t changed anything.
Source

YouTube team is already aware and investigating

The YouTube team is currently aware of the reported issues. The developers are investigating the matter to try to find a solution. But, there is still no estimated arrival date for a fix.

Thanks for the info – we’ve seen similar reports that clicking on a video opens a new tab & we’re looking into this. Appreciate your patience.
Source

So, for the moment, users affected by the bug can try to mitigate it using YouTube without accessing their account, although losing all the functionalities associated with the profiles.

If there is any new related development, we will update this article. Finally, you can check out the bug/issues trackers dedicated to YouTube.

Update 1 (December 17)

03:46 pm (IST): The issue where YouTube videos were opening in new tabs is allegedly been fixed. However, it’s still not confirmed if this glitch is fixed for everyone else.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Jean Leon
1613 Posts

A tech enthusiast since ever. I like to always be up to date on the latest news in the industry and write about it. Twitter: @jean_ERdC

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