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November 3, 2011

YouTube Tests a New Interface

YouTube experiments with a new interface that uses a gray background, muted colors, redesigned buttons and new icons for the like/dislike buttons. Most of the features are available in the Cosmic Panda experiment, but the changes are less drastic.




To try the new interface, change the value of the VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE cookie for youtube.com to Eg7GsyKWzk8. For example, in Google Chrome, go to YouTube's homepage, open the JavaScript console (Ctrl+Shift+J or Menu > Tools > JavaScript Console), paste the following code:

document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=Eg7GsyKWzk8";

Then press Enter, close the console and reload YouTube's homepage.

You can also use extensions like Edit this cookie (Chrome) or Cookies Manager (Firefox). Opera has a powerful cookie manager, so you don't need an extension to edit a cookie.

To go back to the old interface, open your browser's cookie manager, search for youtube.com and delete the VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE cookie.

{ Thanks, Maurice. }

29 comments:

  1. It doesn't look depressing to me. Actually, it looks like it makes the content you're watching more prominent and the interface disappear into the background.

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  2. It's called Cosmic Panda and can be set easier here without having to manually play with cookies.

    http://www.youtube.com/testtube

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  3. It's not Cosmic Panda, it's quite different. And sincerely, Cosmic Panda is simply better, it does focus on what you're watching.

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  4. This change is much smaller than Cosmic Panda. In my opinion Cosmic Panda is the best youtube interface so far.

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  5. as others say, Cosmis Panda is GREAT, I already enabled it on all computers I use

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  6. That looks liek it might just work man.
    www.net-privacy.us.tc

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  7. Cosmic Panda is too dark and depressing. I hate it.

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  8. Ive got a small youtube bookmarklet on my google plus home page, which u can use to search youtube videos... Probably first real step in connecting youtube and plus.

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  9. you guys are never happy :)

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  10. depressing?? what planet do you live on? :D

    what's really depressing are the kinds of videos that are at the top of the recommendations. talk about losing faith in humanity.

    a darker background is always better. white backgrounds are like having a bright flashlight shining straight into your eyes and your brain. why do we inflict this on ourselves.

    all my page backgrounds are black. "Change Colors" Chrome extension FTW.

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  11. Certainly not depressing!! Looks smart and modern I reckon. I do like Cosmic Panda as well, although I reckon it's not to everyone's tastes.

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  12. If you enable cosmic panda and add the cookie, it looks slightly different, e.g. boxes saying things like: "This account is managed by [Google Apps Domain]"

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  13. http://www.youtube.com/cosmicpanda

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  14. are you talking about www.youtube.com/cosmicpanda that's available for months?

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  15. This is not cosmic panda. Look at the god damn video page it's the same as the current one

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  16. Cosmic panda is better than this one, i only wish they would enable the livestream on the experiment :/

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  17. Why are they experimenting with another interface when Cosmic Panda is already much better? After Cosmic Panda was introduced I never switched back to the old interface. And I'm definitely not going to switch to this new one.

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  18. Cosmic Panda is way better. Not sure why Google doesn't make the Cosmic Panda interface the standard.

    Try it here: youtube.com/comicpanda

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  19. DESTROY THIS ONE, I like cosmic panda better.

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  20. I'm using Firefox and this doesn't work with me ! do u know how to fix this issue ?

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  21. In my opinion, Cosmic Panda is a nice idea, but there are a lot of things done wrong. I like this much more.

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  22. Thanks man, i hate new Youtube interface, and you helped me well :)

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  23. Get the New YouTube Interface Right Away, Before Everyone Else - http://www.tech.nolicio.us/2011/11/youtube-is-currently-testing-new-design.html

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  24. What happened to the branding options?

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  25. Change it change it change it change it change it change it change it again change it change it change it change it change it change it some more. You can't get used to it. Oh, they changed it again. Change it change it change it change it change it change it. How many times has the ewe-toob "interface" changed the past 3 years. It's asinine.

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  26. Is the VISITOR_INFO_LIVE cookie just for the new interface? What information does it collect?

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