YouTube has a hidden ambient mode: Here's how to turn it on (and off)

YouTube's Ambient Mode: A Subtle Enhancement to Your Viewing Experience

YouTube offers many customization options, from playback speed to video size. One often-overlooked feature is Ambient Mode, a subtle yet immersive viewing experience. This guide explains how to enable or disable it on web and mobile platforms. Note that this feature is currently unavailable on smart TVs and streaming devices.

Web Version

Ambient Mode requires YouTube's dark mode. To activate dark mode, click your Google profile picture (top right), select Appearance, and choose Dark theme. Ambient Mode automatically activates with dark mode, subtly washing the video's colors around its edges. The effect is subtle and may take a few seconds to appear. It's only visible in the default video view, not fullscreen or cinema mode. Switch between views using the icons in the lower right corner of the video player or by pressing T on your keyboard.

To disable Ambient Mode, switch to light mode via the Appearance menu, or, while remaining in dark mode, click the gear icon (hovering over the video), and toggle off the Ambient mode switch. Toggling it on and off quickly demonstrates the effect.

Mobile Version

On Android or iOS, Ambient Mode is enabled directly from the video playback screen. Unlike the web version, it's independent of dark mode and works in both light and dark themes.

With a video playing, tap it to reveal playback controls, then tap the gear icon (top right). Select Additional settings, and toggle the Ambient mode switch. This setting applies to all subsequent videos.

The effect is subtle, especially on dark or monochrome videos. In portrait mode, the color wash appears above the video; in landscape mode, it's visible on the sides. The effect remains consistent regardless of your chosen theme (light or dark). To change your theme, tap the You icon (bottom right), then the gear icon (top right), select General, then Appearance to choose between light, dark, or device-default themes.

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