Last year, YouTube removed the ability to tap anywhere on the navigation bar to jump to a specific minute of the video. Since then, the new method required the user to hold and slide their finger on the bar to move forward or backward.
Building on this change, YouTube is testing a new gesture in the Android app to move around the video faster and easier. As Reddit user u / FragmentedChicken first noticed, YouTube for Android is rolling out a new feature to make video scrolling much more convenient.
To try it out, just long press anywhere in the video and drag your finger across the screen, right to go forward, left to go back. When the gesture is activated, the message “Swipe left or right to search” is displayed on the screen. Gesture controls aren't new to YouTube. Users can already double tap in quick succession to rewind or skip 10 seconds.
