YouTube: How to turn off annoying end screen content recommendations

Reportedly, YouTube adds a new "Hide" button to dismiss end screen pop-ups, while also removing the hover-to-subscribe feature to simplify the viewing experience

YouTube has reportedly introduced a new feature that lets viewers hide the content recommendation pop-ups, or “end screens,” that appear after videos. According to a TechCrunch report, users will now see a new “Hide” button in the top-right corner of the video player, allowing them to dismiss the pop-ups for the current video. The change is said to address long-standing user complaints about end screens disrupting their viewing experience by covering the final moments of a video.

 

With this update, viewers can decide whether to temporarily remove end screens while watching. However, it is clarified that the option applies only to the video currently playing and does not permanently disable end screens across the platform. If users want to see the recommendations again, they can simply tap the “Show” button to bring them back. 

 

As per the report, the feature aims to reduce distractions and improve the overall experience for viewers, especially those who find end screens intrusive. The report mentioned that the company has acknowledged that the move is a direct response to community feedback, as 

users have consistently asked for more ways to focus on the content itself without clutter.

 

As for creators, it is noted that they still have the option to add end screens to videos. The report stated that the company expects the overall impact on creators’ performance and audience growth to be minimal. A testing reportedly revealed that allowing users to hide end screens reduced views generated through them by less than 1.5 percent, a negligible decline compared to the broader engagement across the platform. 

 

In addition to this update, YouTube has reportedly announced the removal of the Subscribe button that used to appear when hovering over a channel’s branded watermark on videos. According to the report, the company has explained that this feature had little impact and is unnecessary since a dedicated Subscribe button already sits below the video player. Data from experiments showed that fewer than 0.05 percent of channel subscriptions originated from the hover-to-subscribe watermark.