In a significant move to refine user experience, YouTube has officially launched a set of new search filters. The video streaming giant states that these enhancements are a direct response to user feedback and are designed to make discovering content more straightforward and efficient.
What's New in YouTube Search?
The update brings several key changes to the platform's search functionality. The most notable addition is a dedicated filter for YouTube Shorts. This new option, located within the 'Type' menu, allows users to explicitly choose whether they want to see results filled with short-form clips or stick to traditional long-form videos (VODs). This move underscores YouTube's continued investment in promoting its Shorts format, which directly rivals platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Beyond the Shorts filter, YouTube has also rebranded and refined other sorting options. The familiar 'Sort By' menu has been renamed to 'Prioritize', a change intended to make its purpose clearer. Furthermore, the 'View count' sort option is now called 'Popularity'. According to YouTube, this filter uses a combination of view count and other relevance signals, such as watch time, to determine which videos are most popular for a specific search query.
Simplifying the Search Experience
In its effort to streamline the interface and reduce confusion, YouTube has decided to remove two specific filters: 'Upload Date – Last Hour' and 'Sort by Rating'. The company explained that these options were not performing as intended and were a source of user complaints. Broader upload date filters, such as "Today," "This week," and "This year," will continue to be available for users.
"We are simplifying and reorganizing the filter menu to make it more intuitive and improve the overall search experience," a YouTube spokesperson said. The overarching goal, as stated by the company, is to equip viewers with more effective advanced search tools, ensuring they can consistently and efficiently locate the content they enjoy.
This update represents YouTube's ongoing commitment to evolving its platform based on user interaction and feedback, making the vast library of videos more accessible and easier to navigate for its massive global audience.
