Ever been immersed in a YouTube video in fullscreen and found the black bars distracting? Did you try zooming in, only to lose parts from the top and bottom? Here’s YouTube’s solution: Ambient Mode.
Ambient Mode is a feature that aims to address the issue with the black bars by letting colors from the video you’re watching spill out 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 the feature is not new, it’s about to become much more prevalent with the latest update to the YouTube app.
Originally, this cool feature worked when you watched videos with your phone upright. It added some color to the top part of the screen – you know, where your battery and time are shown. But, when you’d flip your phone for a full-screen view, this feature would vanish. Not anymore! With the latest update, full-screen videos in landscape mode will also show Ambient Mode effects on the sides.
For those of you who know, it’s similar to the Ambilight feature on a Philips TV.. It casts a gentle light on the wall surrounding your TV, adjusting automatically to match the screen colors and brightness.
The main idea behind Ambient Mode is to make your video-watching experience more immersive. Instead of being distracted by blank spaces around your video, you get a visual treat that complements the content you’re watching.
If you’re wondering how to get this feature, well, I have good news! If you’re using the YouTube app on Android or iOS, it’s already there. Just make sure you’ve updated your app to the latest version. You might have to wait a bit if you don’t see the update immediately, but it’ll get there.
Once you’ve updated, just play a video. If it’s in portrait mode, the colors will glow above the video. But the real magic happens in landscape mode: the color extends to the left and right sides of the video. It picks colors from the video and adds a blurred effect to those spaces. So, if you’re watching a scene with lush greenery, expect some soft green hues on the sides. And when there’s a sudden switch to a sunset, those hues adapt in real time.
But what if you’re thinking, “Uh, I just want to watch my video without the fancy effects”? YouTube’s got you covered. There’s an option to switch this feature off, making the sides go back to the classic black. Just dive into the settings, look for “Additional Settings,” and then switch off Ambient Mode. And just like that, it’s back to basics.
Happy Watching!
