Full-screen YouTube videos get a splash of color with Ambient Mode

Have you ever been immersed in a full-screen YouTube video and found the black bars distracting? Have you tried to zoom in, but lost parts of the top and bottom? Here’s YouTube’s solution: ambient mode.

Ambient mode is a feature that aims to solve the problem of black bars by letting the colors of the video you are watching spread and blend into the YouTube interface. So instead of just seeing black bars or spaces around a video, you get a soft glow of color that matches what’s happening in the video. While this feature isn’t new, it’s about to become much more prevalent with the latest YouTube app update.

Originally, this cool feature worked when watching videos with your phone vertically. It added color to the top of the screen – you know, where your battery and time are shown. But when you flip your phone for a full-screen view, this feature disappears. No more! With the latest update, full-screen videos in landscape mode will also display ambient mode effects on the sides.

For those of you who know, it’s similar to the Ambilight feature on a Philips TV. It projects a soft light onto the wall surrounding your TV, automatically adjusting to match the colors and brightness of the screen.

The main idea behind Ambient mode is to make your video watching experience more immersive. Instead of being distracted by empty spaces around your video, you get a visual enjoyment that complements the content you’re watching.

If you’re wondering how to get this feature, well, I have good news! If you use the YouTube app on Android or iOS, it’s already there. Just make sure you’ve updated your app to the latest version. You may have to wait a bit if you don’t see the update right away, but it will get there.

Once the update is complete, simply play a video. If it’s in portrait mode, the colors will shine above the video. But the real magic happens in landscape mode: the color extends to the left and right sides of the video. It selects colors from the video and adds a blur effect to these spaces. So if you’re looking at a scene with lush greenery, expect soft green hues around the sides. And when a sunset suddenly occurs, these hues adapt in real time.

But what if you’re thinking, “Um, I just want to watch my video without the fancy effects”? YouTube is here for you. There is an option to turn this feature off, allowing the sides to revert to classic black. Simply dive into Settings, search for “Additional Settings,” then turn off Ambient Mode. And just like that, it’s back to basics. (Via Android titles)

Good viewing!