YouTube Introduces Option to Remove Video End Screens

YouTube allows creators to remove the video end screens, giving them more control over the viewer experience and engagement post-video.

YouTube has launched new features that allow users to remove the end-screen URLs, those “Thank you for watching” and “Up next” overlays that appear at the last 10 seconds of a YouTube video. 

This feature is designed to reduce distractions while watching and provide viewers with greater control over their viewing experience.

Hide End Screen Feature Overview

The brand new “Hide” button appears in the top-right corner of the video player every time screen-ending screens are displayed. 

Clicking this button will remove the overlay displayed for the video in question, allowing users to view the last frames without interruption or to eliminate the clutter. The user can also press “Show” to bring the final screen back after it has been obscured.

YouTube clarifies:

“We’re adding a “Hide” button that allows you to dismiss end screens on videos. If end screens show up when you have finished watching content, you can tap the “Hide” button in the top-right corner of the video player to hide them from the current video you’re watching.”

This setting applies only to the specific video currently being watched and cannot be saved as a default preference.

Minimal Impact on Creator Performance

YouTube has been testing the feature since the beginning of 2025 and has reported positive results. According to YouTube:

“We have closely analyzed the potential impact of the changes we’re introducing and we expect there to be minimal impact to your performance. Giving users the option to hide end screens resulted in a less than 1.5% decrease in views from end screens, based on a global experiment on mobile from March-July 2025.”

This suggests that the control viewers have over the screen’s end-to-end visibility is unlikely to impact the creator’s engagement or performance significantly.

Desktop “Subscribe” Button Simplification

In a similar change, YouTube is removing the “Subscribe” button that appears when hovering over the video’s branded watermark on a desktop. 

“Since there’s already a Subscribe button directly below the video player, we’re removing this additional Subscribe button to simplify and improve the viewing experience.”

YouTube anticipates that this will have minimal or no impact on the subscription rate, improving the user experience.

Bottom Line

These changes are a result of YouTube’s ongoing efforts to balance the promotion of creators with user experience, providing small but significant methods to minimize distractions while ensuring that viewers remain engaged.