YouTube App Bug Forces Shorts on Startup for Some Users

A frustrating bug is plaguing the YouTube app for a growing number of users, forcing the app to launch directly into the Shorts feed upon startup, regardless of the user’s previous viewing history. This issue, which has been gaining traction in recent weeks, disrupts the expected user experience and raises questions about YouTube’s prioritization of its short-form video platform.

YouTube has undeniably placed a significant emphasis on Shorts in recent years. The platform, designed to mimic the popular TikTok experience, has been aggressively integrated into various aspects of the YouTube ecosystem. Shorts boast a dedicated tab in the mobile app, making them easily accessible. They also frequently appear within the Home and Subscription feeds, increasing their visibility and drawing users into the seemingly endless stream of short-form content. While this push towards Shorts reflects YouTube’s attempt to capture the attention of a younger audience and compete in the rapidly evolving landscape of online video, the current bug is proving to be a source of irritation for many.

The core issue is that the YouTube app, instead of opening to the familiar homepage where users can access their subscriptions, recommended videos, and other content, is automatically launching into the Shorts feed. This means that users are immediately confronted with a stream of short, often unrelated videos, even if they were previously watching long-form content or browsing their subscriptions. For users who primarily use YouTube for longer videos, educational content, or music, this forced entry into Shorts is a disruptive and unwelcome change.

Initially, the problem was observed when users would find that YouTube would consistently open to Shorts if the last video they watched was a Short. This behavior, while somewhat annoying, could be explained as the app simply remembering the last viewed type of content. However, the current iteration of the bug is far more pervasive. Users are reporting that the YouTube app now opens directly to Shorts regardless of what they were watching previously. Whether they were engrossed in a documentary, catching up on their favorite vlogger’s latest upload, or simply browsing their subscriptions, the app stubbornly defaults to the Shorts feed upon startup.

The issue has been observed on various Android devices. We’ve personally encountered it on a Nothing Phone (3a) and a Pixel 9 Pro Fold running the latest version of the YouTube app. In these instances, the app consistently opens to Shorts if the Shorts feed has been accessed at all. Interestingly, navigating "back" from the Shorts feed does reveal the expected homepage. Furthermore, there are UI artifacts that appear when the first Short loads, suggesting that the app is indeed erroneously opening the Shorts feed "over" the normal homepage. This lends credence to the theory that it is a bug rather than an intentional design choice.

Reports are surfacing on platforms like Reddit, indicating that this issue is affecting a growing number of users over the past few weeks. While the exact scope of the problem remains unclear, the increasing number of complaints suggests that it is not an isolated incident. The comments sections of tech news websites and social media platforms are filled with users expressing their frustration with this unexpected behavior.

Troubleshooting the issue has proven to be challenging. Simply closing and force-stopping the app does not resolve the problem. The app stubbornly continues to open to Shorts upon the next launch. A more drastic approach, such as clearing the app’s storage and cache, does temporarily revert the app to its normal behavior. However, the respite is short-lived. As soon as the Shorts feed is accessed again, the issue returns, suggesting that the bug is somehow triggered by interacting with the short-form content.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the YouTube app on Android devices, a full uninstall is not possible. As YouTube is often pre-installed on Android devices, the option to completely remove the app is not available. However, users can "uninstall updates" through the Google Play Store, which effectively reverts the app to its factory-installed version. This workaround might provide temporary relief, but it also means losing access to the latest features and bug fixes.

As of yet, there is no confirmation of whether this bug is also affecting iOS devices. This leaves iPhone and iPad users uncertain as to whether they might encounter the same issue. The lack of widespread reports from iOS users could indicate that the bug is specific to the Android version of the app, or it could simply be that fewer iOS users have encountered the problem.

The forced Shorts behavior raises concerns about the user experience and the potential for alienating users who are not interested in short-form content. While YouTube’s desire to promote Shorts is understandable, forcing users into the feed against their will is not the most effective way to achieve this goal. A more nuanced approach would be to provide users with greater control over their viewing experience, allowing them to customize the app’s behavior and choose whether or not they want to be automatically directed to Shorts upon startup.

This bug highlights the importance of thorough testing and quality assurance in software development. Even minor bugs can have a significant impact on the user experience, leading to frustration and potentially driving users away from the platform. YouTube needs to prioritize fixing this issue as quickly as possible to restore the expected behavior of the app and maintain the trust of its users.

Are you experiencing this frustrating issue with the YouTube app? Share your experiences in the comments below. Letting YouTube know the scope of the problem will assist them in their efforts to squash this bug. We will continue to monitor this issue and provide updates as they become available.

In the meantime, if you’re affected by this bug, you can try the workaround of clearing the app’s storage and cache. Remember that this is only a temporary fix, and the issue will likely return once you access the Shorts feed again.

Stay tuned for further updates and developments on this story.