How To Get The New YouTube Homepage Before It Is Officially Rolled Out

Google is testing a new homepage design for YouTube (not the Cosmic Panda test). Even though there is no official announcement, you can get a taste of it using a simple cookie trick. If you don’t like it or want to get back to the old YouTube interface, simply delete the cookie.

YouTube visitors can enable the new test homepage layout by following the steps below:

  • First, visit http://www.youtube.com using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
  • Now, in Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift and J to open the Developer Tools. Alternatively, you can click on the spanner icon, go to Tools and select Developer Tools.
  • Firefox users need to press Ctrl + Shift and K.
  • Now, click on the “Console” Tab and type the following text and press Enter to confirm.
    document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=ST1Ti53r4fU";
  • Reload YouTube and Google will greet you to the new layout.

The new YouTube homepage layout is divided into three columns (as explained later) and looks like the screenshot below after a reload.

Youtube-homepage

After logging in, you will notice neat Google+ and Facebook integration along with very well laid out subscribed channel information prominently displayed on the left side. Below it, under From YouTube, you can now easily access Trending or Popular videos. Further below, you will find suggested channels for you to subscribe to. The middle column is filled with updates from subscriptions, or if you click on From YouTube link, it displays the trending/popular videos. In the third (right) column, YouTube displays recommended videos based on your activities on YouTube and videos you have watched in the past.

Youtube-homepage

Do you like the new test homepage layout of YouTube or like the old one? Share your thoughts with us.

Note: Google is testing this new layout and there is no official announcement if Google will finalize this as the new YouTube homepage in the future.

Thanks to Moritz Tolxdorff on Google+ for sharing the cookie trick.

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