YouTube users report 480p caps and full-screen recommendation overlays

In the resolution problem, users say the highest available option has been limited to 480p, Android Authority reported. The limitation appears to affect both free and Premium subscribers, so it is not a case of YouTube reserving higher resolutions for paying users. Reports on Reddit cited by Android Authority indicate the issue has been occurring for at least a month. It is unclear what causes the problem, but the reports appear to concern the phone app rather than other platforms.

Some affected users have tried workarounds. One user said clearing the app's cache restored higher resolutions. Another said uninstalling and reinstalling the app made the problem go away, but only temporarily, because it eventually returned. Other users said those steps did not work for them. Android Authority said it had reached out to Google for comment and would update its article if new information became available. The report also noted that YouTube had recently fixed a separate issue that prevented users from signing up, adding packages, or modifying subscriptions.

The second issue involves YouTube's watch next suggestions on Android. A growing number of users say suggested videos are appearing over the bottom portion of the full-screen player, obscuring part of the video and the progress bar and making it impossible to scrub through a video. Reports have appeared on Reddit and Google's own community forum, with new complaints surfacing in September and older reports dating back to at least April. One Reddit post cited by Android Authority had more than 300 upvotes.

Android Authority said its own writer saw a similar interface problem on a Pixel 8, and a colleague also experienced it. For both, the issue disappeared soon after it appeared. Many other users, however, say the problem persists. Google has not commented on the reports, and it is not clear whether the behavior is a bug or an intentional user-interface test. YouTube representatives often reply to users on posts that gain traction to acknowledge bugs and confirm they are being investigated, Android Authority reported, but no such response had appeared for this issue.

A user named GameGoalstryhard suggested a temporary workaround, according to Android Authority: tap one of the recommended videos covering playback, then tap the previous video left-arrow button. That should return the viewer to the original video without recommendations bleeding into the bottom of the player. Android Authority said it had contacted Google and would update if it learned anything new.