YouTube tests removal of Subscriptions tab from mobile app navigation

At a glance:

• YouTube is running an A/B test that moves the Subscriptions tab from the bottom navigation bar to a secondary menu below the app logo, making it harder to reach on ultra-tall smartphones.
• The test adds a second "Home" tab and gives the Plus icon a dedicated "Create" label, hinting at forthcoming AI-based creation tools.
• The change is experimental only; YouTube says it is not rolling out broadly, though a Google I/O announcement remains a slim possibility.

What the test looks like

YouTube is experimenting with a major UI shift in its mobile app. The Subscriptions tab, which normally sits in the bottom navigation bar alongside Home, Shorts, and Library, has been relocated to a new secondary menu positioned below the app's logo at the top of the screen. In its place, the bottom nav still shows a Home tab — but the test also introduces another Home tab inside the top-level menu, creating a "Home-hybrid-Subscriptions selector" that users can swipe through.

The bottom navigation bar retains its usual structure, but now includes a Plus icon that receives its own dedicated spot with a "Create" label. That rebranding suggests YouTube is preparing to surface AI-powered creation tools — something beyond the current TikTok-style camera shortcut — though the test does not yet make those tools available. The Subscriptions feed itself still loads the typical list of followed channels and videos, but it no longer has its own dedicated space in the nav bar; it is folded into the swipeable top menu alongside the duplicate Home tab.

Why users are pushing back

The change draws immediate criticism from power users who rely on the Subscriptions tab as their primary entry point into the app. On modern ultra-tall smartphones, reaching the top of the screen one-handed is noticeably more awkward than tapping the bottom bar, and the secondary menu adds an extra tap to access content that was previously one tap away. The author of the report, who describes themselves as a "Subscriptions-first user," notes that the redesign offers little tangible benefit in exchange for the added friction — the only new element is the Create-labelled Plus icon, and even that is speculative rather than functional in the test build.

YouTube confirmed the experiment in a statement, describing it as a "test of a shift in the placement of the Subscriptions feed, moving it from the bottom navigation bar to the top of your screen as part of a new, swipeable Subscriptions and Home feed tab experience." The company did not commit to a rollout timeline.

The test is unstable — and maybe temporary

When the author cycled through several accounts — both YouTube Premium and non-Premium — the new UI appeared only on their main profile and behaved erratically. After closing and reopening the app, the updated layout disappeared entirely, restoring the standard navigation bar. The author has not been able to reproduce the new look since, suggesting the test is either narrowly scoped or internally unstable.

YouTube's own language frames the change as an experiment rather than a product update, and the author concludes the redesign is unlikely to ship in the near term. The one wildcard is Google I/O, which was slated to begin the day after the article was published. A surprise onstage mention could accelerate the timeline, but the author considers that unlikely given the conference's heavy focus on Gemini and AI rather than interface changes.

What to watch next

The test is worth monitoring because it hints at two larger trends. First, YouTube appears to be exploring AI-driven creation features — the "Create" label on the Plus icon is a clear signal that the company wants to compete with TikTok's in-app editing and generative AI workflows. Second, the relocation of the Subscriptions feed may reflect an internal prioritisation shift: YouTube could be betting that algorithmic recommendations (the "Home" feed) matter more than subscription-based browsing, a move that would align with its broader push toward Shorts and personalized discovery.

For subscribers who navigate YouTube primarily through their followed channels, the takeaway is simple: make your feedback visible. YouTube is actively running the test, and user pushback during experiments has historically shaped the final design. If the Subscriptions tab disappears from the bottom nav in a future update, it will likely have passed through this exact A/B framework first.

Tags

YouTube redesign, subscriptions tab, mobile app test, Google I/O, AI creation tools