YouTube is introducing a simple but long-requested feature: a Hide button that allows you to get rid of those recommendation pop-ups on the end screen so you can actually watch the final seconds of a video without overlays.
The control, which is displayed in the top-right corner of a player when an end screen activates, allows viewers to remove visual clutter with one click and then restore it if they suddenly decide they want to see more suggestions.
How the new Hide control works during video end screens
When the end screen appears, you’ll notice a new Hide button in the player chrome. Tap it and the recommended tiles, subscribe prompts and other end-screen detritus go away for the remainder of that video. A Show button allows you to bring the panel back if you change your mind or wish to quickly navigate between videos. More importantly, it’s a per-video switch, not a global setting — meaning that the video you’re hiding stays hidden for only your current session.
The feature doesn’t eliminate end screens entirely. Creators can now use these features to promote new videos, playlists and channels directly in the last five to 20 seconds of a video, and have them work just like they used to before (unless a viewer decides to opt out).
Why YouTube is changing its policy on end screens
YouTube says the update responds to years of viewer feedback about distractions at the end of videos — particularly when pop-ups blocked on-screen action.
If you’ve ever tried to follow along with a recipe when the screen is smothered in recommendation tiles before or after the final reveal, or measurement, you know this pain. The company has been working to rid its site of disruptive pop-ups before, relegating older-style annotations to the dust bin and promoting device-friendly elements like cards and end screens.
The platform is additionally eliminating the subscribe button that would appear when a mouse hovered over a channel watermark on desktop. The thinking at YouTube is simple: the main subscribe button already exists directly under the player and hover-to-subscribe had proven redundant and not all that well-used.
Effects on creators: minimal, according to YouTube tests
YouTube says adoption of the option for viewers to hide end screens led to less than 1.5% reduction in views driven from end screens across its tests. The company also says that less than about 0.05% of all channel subscriptions were a result of the hover-to-subscribe watermark interaction — further justifying the removal without being overly detrimental to actual growth.
For creators, the takeaway is to continue using end screens, but to plan for some segment of your audience that may hide them.
Best practices from YouTube’s Creator resources still hold: design the last seconds of your video with end-screen elements in mind, call attention to the next video verbally and reinforce it with pinned comments or description links. Checking read rates for cards and end screens in YouTube Studio can help identify any changes post-change.
A minor wrinkle that’s made the biggest difference in final seconds
End screens are a potent programming tool, but they also exist at a delicate time in the viewing experience — the payoff. In certain categories, from sports highlights and cooking to do-it-yourself demonstration videos and amateur music performances, the final frames can matter most. A one-tap Hide option, then, strikes a balance: creators still have a means to keep viewers in their ecosystem; audiences see less visual noise when it vies for attention with content.
What viewers and creators can do right now on YouTube
Viewers: When the end screen is displayed, tap on Hide in the top right to finish watching the video. If you want the suggestions to return, tap Show. There is no platform-wide toggle, either; you’ll have to make up your mind on a per-video basis.
Creators: Keep an eye on end screen and subscription source analytics in YouTube Studio, and try some minor layout revisions to ensure that crucial visual information isn’t hidden behind overlays. If you have your end screen driving a series flow, make sure to reinforce that with in-video narration and on-screen text so the journey continues even when the panel is closed.
It’s a small control, but one that meaningfully makes the site more watchable — and by YouTube’s own metrics, without significantly denting creator performance.