YouTube is testing a two-column Recommended videos sidebar, and viewers aren’t happy

YouTube appears to be testing a new watch page layout that’s frustrating users across the platform. Multiple reports on Reddit show that the video recommendations sidebar has suddenly switched from a single vertical column to a double-column grid, and the reception has been overwhelmingly negative.

The change first started appearing for logged-in users around January 13, with people reloading their YouTube tabs only to find the sidebar showing two rows of recommended videos instead of the usual single column.

One Reddit user on r/YouTube noted that the issue only appeared when signed into their account, while incognito mode and logged-out sessions displayed the normal single-column layout. This behavior suggests YouTube is running an A/B test on specific accounts rather than rolling out the change platform-wide.

The problem with the two-column recommendations sidebar is that it makes the video player noticeably smaller. Users are calling the new it “extremely annoying” and “very ugly,” with one person saying they “thought I was having a stroke” when YouTube suddenly changed.

Several commenters pointed out that the expanded sidebar takes up more horizontal space while the video gets squeezed down to accommodate it.

Theater mode isn’t solving the problem either. While some suggested using theater mode to expand the player, affected users report the double-column recommendations still appear below the video in that view. The layout also cuts off video titles after just a few letters, making it harder to see what’s actually being recommended.

YouTube hasn’t commented on the test, and signing out only works until you log back in. Some users have tried browser extensions and older YouTube layouts with mixed results. As noted above, the change seems tied to individual accounts as part of YouTube’s regular A/B testing process, where different user groups see different features so the platform can track engagement metrics.

You can check out additional reports about the two-column sidebar here, here, here, here, and here.

Featured image credit: Lemoneater6 / Reddit

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