YouTube Introduces Hide Button for Video End Screens

YouTube has officially rolled out a new feature that allows users to hide those often distracting end screen overlays that appear during the final moments of videos. The platform has been testing this functionality over recent months, and positive results have prompted the global release to all users.

The new “Hide” button appears in the top-right corner of the video player whenever end screens are displayed, typically showing “Thank you for watching” messages and “Up next” recommendations in the last 10 seconds of content. Users can now tap this button to remove these overlays and view the video as the creator originally intended, with the option to bring them back by selecting “Show.”

Minimal Impact on Creator Performance

YouTube’s extensive testing from March to July 2025 revealed encouraging data for content creators concerned about potential negative effects. The platform found that allowing users to hide end screens resulted in less than 1.5% decrease in views from end screens globally, indicating minimal impact on creator performance metrics.

Additional Platform Improvements

In related updates, YouTube is also removing the subscribe button that previously appeared when users hovered over a video’s branded watermark on desktop. The company stated this change aims to simplify the viewing experience, noting that a subscribe button already exists directly below the video player.

The hide feature only affects the current video being watched and cannot be set as a default preference across the platform. This measured approach ensures user choice while maintaining creator engagement opportunities.

These updates reflect YouTube’s ongoing efforts to balance user experience improvements with creator monetization and audience growth needs.