YouTube has recently updated its iOS app, and if you’re not a big fan of the new interface, here’s how to restore the old YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad.
What is considered one of the worst updates ever for the YouTube app ( one and a half stars Out of over 6,500 ratings, Google has redesigned the app with a new look that isn’t exactly flattering. Even though it comes with new in-app editing tools, the new look of the app is keeping many users in their arms.
First off, the new app gets rid of the scrolling navigation sidebar in favor of a new tab that you can access from the home screen. The top navigation bar also takes a page out of Google’s Android book with a plain monochrome design that it has done well in the past, but it’s kind of a shake-and-miss with the new YouTube app.
However, the app includes a dedicated tab with a timeline of YouTube videos from channels you subscribe to, this is actually a small must-have feature, but some users just want the old YouTube app back.
Old and New YouTube layout
Fortunately, there are ways to do this by requiring a jailbroken device, but in any case, here’s how to restore the old YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad.
Jailbreak your iPhone or iPad
This trick is only if your device is running iOS 8.4.0 or older and you haven’t jailbroken it already, you’ve probably already updated to iOS 9. This trick will not work as iOS 9 is not jailbroken.
But for those jailed, you can download a Cydia tweak that brings back the old YouTube app.
The tweak is called YTOldNav and can be downloaded from Cydia after adding the repository to your Cydia app.
A simple tweak that doesn’t require any adjustments. Once downloaded, you can go back to the YouTube app and enjoy it just like before Google replaced it.
Restore from Previous Backup
This trick works, but it can be a bit of a hassle as you have to restore from a previous backup for your iPhone or iPad, so if you have new apps and new files on your device after updating to the new YouTube app, these files and such.
Essentially, what you’re doing is restoring your iOS device to a time before you updated to the new YouTube app to get the old design back.
To do this, plug your iPhone or iPad into your computer and open iTunes. From here, click on the device icon that opens towards the top left corner to go to your device’s summary page.
At the bottom, click Restore Backup. You will need to turn off Find My iPhone to do this, but once you do, you will need to select a backup from the drop-down menu on the next screen. I hope you backup often enough so you can choose a backup just before updating the YouTube app.
From there, restore that backup and let it do its thing. Eventually, you’ll be working on a backup containing the old YouTube app.
Don’t Sweat Too Much
In the end, if one of these tricks doesn’t work for you, don’t sweat too much. The new YouTube layout may not be the best, but it’s still usable and not the end of the world.
We are sure that Google has heard the feedback regarding the new design of the iOS app, so we hope they update the app with some positive changes in the near future.
Otherwise, while not the best looks the YouTube app has had, the new features added are at least pretty cool.