If you are a regular YouTube user and pop-ups have been annoying you, then this news is for you. YouTube has finally listened to its users’ complaints and made a major change. Now, you can easily remove the annoying pop-ups that appear at the end of a video. The company has introduced a “Hide” button, allowing viewers to quickly hide the end screen overlay.
Until now, as soon as a video was about to end, the screen would fill with new videos, subscribe buttons, and links. Viewers couldn’t clearly see the last frame. This feature had been a long-standing problem. But now, just one click will solve this problem.
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The new “Hide” button will appear in the top right of the video player. Viewers can click it as soon as the end screen elements appear. All pop-ups will disappear immediately. If anyone wants to see them again, they can bring them back by pressing the “Show” button. Importantly, this setting must be set for each video separately.
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For creators, YouTube emphasised that the impact of these changes will be minimal. The company noted: “We have closely analysed the potential impact of the changes we’re introducing and we expect there to be minimal impact to your performance. Giving users the option to hide end screens resulted in a less than 1.5 per cent decrease in views from end screens, based on a global experiment on mobile from March-July 2025.”
YouTube has also made changes to the desktop experience. Now, when a user hovers over a branded watermark in a video, the “ Subscribe” button will no longer be activated. Instead, the option to subscribe will remain where it always was, below the video. The company states that this change aims to simplify and clean the viewing experience.
The company previously tested this change. The results showed that the “ Hide” button reduced views from the end screen by less than 1.5percent . The number of people subscribing by hovering over the watermark was 0.05percent . This means the impact on creators will be minimal.
Creators can still add up to four interactive elements to the end of videos. Watermarks will continue to be used for branding. The only difference is that viewers will now be able to choose whether or not to view them.
Viewers are welcoming this change. They will now be able to watch the entire end of the video without interruption. This move by YouTube clearly shows that the company has finally listened to their customers.
It is a small but significant change. It will improve the daily video viewing experience. Viewers will have more control, while creators will still have the opportunity for promotion. This decision will be beneficial for both parties.
