Add ability to revert newest YouTube UI change

[SkitsTheSkitty]

⚬ PROBLEM:

this new UI where the comments are sequestered onto the side and new videos make up the majority of the space is the worst youtube UI change in a while. it's terrible for my adhd, and i don't want to outright disable my sidebar or comments

⚬ SOLUTION:

shouldn't need the picture, but like, it should have the option to return the ui to how it's represented in the appearance section
⚬ ALTERNATIVES:

i don't know but i'm desperate here
⚬ RELEVANCE / SCOPE:

i would use it at least. i don't want the player to become a second homepage.
⚬ "SIDE EFFECTS":

those sidebar fans might not like this. idk. might also conflict with youtube dislike but i'm not really an expert in coding at all so idk

if this ends up getting added i owe you all my life

SHORT Table	(Summary)
Problem	worst youtube ui change in years
Solution	option to change it back
Alternatives	idk
Scope	i would use it
Side effects	conflicts with other ui stuff probably

[ExsimaVoid]

oh please. this layout is the worst thing I've seen yet, completely blindsided me and it just sucks joy out of even opening youtube at this point. totally agree with you pls pls if possible make the revert to old layout available

[miimows]

Please please please, its awful 🙏

[ImprovedTube]

hi! @SkitsTheSkitty @ExsimaVoid @miimows

Please try if our feature appearance:comments-sidebar-simple, which exchanges both elements (in a small window below 1600px width or disabling the extra sidebar) (if Youtube didnt change much)

---

hello! can you all roll out a feature that reverts the ui change presumably rolled out today by putting the comments below the video and the sidebar actually on the side? this ui makes me want to cry

Hi, sure can (and hope to hire somebody for the other 500+ planned tasks). This change surfaced in our github issues several month ago and you can join the thread about it for the record. It is gone when you dont use this youtube account. And we also prepared a thread /feature about removing whatever researching youtube's experiment flags. ( about 800 exist but only a dozen or so might vary between two accounts)

about the experiment flags: #1851 (comment)

[PcChip]

the new YouTube layout is awful, and whoever approved it should be fired

[ImprovedTube]

hi! @PcChip
i cant see it.
you guys are added to an experiment by youtube.

Please try if our feature appearance:comments-sidebar-simple, which exchanges both elements (in a small window below 1600px width or disabling the extra sidebar) (if Youtube didnt change much)

if it doesnt help, please post the CSS selector / xpath of both boxes (1. video details with comments 2. related videos ) copied from "inspected element" or "block element"

[PoorChameleon]

I think I found some of the new experimental flags, but not all.

So temporarily if you for example use uBO you can add these to your filters:

www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.kevlar_watch_grid, false)
www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments, false)
www.youtube.com##+js(set, yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments_ep, false)

Here are the flags listed, but I don't know how relevant each of them are:

"desktop_search_bigger_thumbs_style": "BIG",
"enable_desktop_search_bigger_thumbs": true
"enable_desktop_search_bigger_thumbs_square": true
"kevlar_watch_comments_panel_button": true
"kevlar_watch_flexy_metadata_height": 90
"kevlar_watch_grid": true
"kevlar_watch_grid_auto_open_playlist": true
"kevlar_watch_max_player_width": 1560
"optimal_reading_width_comments_ep": true
"small_avatars_for_comments": true
"small_avatars_for_comments_ep": true
"web_watch_compact_comments": true
"web_watch_compact_comments_header": true
"wn_grid_max_item_width": 700
"wn_grid_min_item_width": 300

Also if someone comes here looking how to fix theater mode on the new UI you can add this to your userstyles until the addon is updated:

ytd-watch-grid[full-bleed-player] #player-full-bleed-container.ytd-watch-grid{
  height: calc(var(--it-player-size) - var(--it-header-size));
  max-height: var(--it-player-size);
}

ytd-watch-grid[is-dark-theme][theater]:not([fullscreen])[transparent-theater-mode] #player-full-bleed-container.ytd-watch-grid{
  background: rgb(0,0,0);
}

Hopefully someone else can keep investigating. I don't really have the time right now, but this can be used as a starting point

[Anoaxx]

soo... "youtube changed stuff" and u dont like it cause for a sake it looks different. I mean ofc theres a way to revert it, but i have comments on a side all the time, and i love that i can watch and read comments at the same time. So... option to change it would be good, unless its on our extension right now, but idk.

[raszpl]

holy crap I sure hope this UI experiment dies in a fire!

[ImprovedTube]

if (extension.storage.get('undo_description_on_the_side') === true ) { 
try {	yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.kevlar_watch_grid = false;
	 	yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments = false;
		yt.config_.EXPERIMENT_FLAGS.small_avatars_for_comments_ep = false;
	}	catch (error) { console.error("can't undo description on the side", error); }
}

[ImprovedTube]

#2178