YouTube Adds Hide Button for End Screens – What Creators & Viewers Should Know
You’ve probably noticed it before: you’re watching a YouTube video, reaching the final few seconds, and suddenly the screen fills with recommendations, subscribe prompts, or links that cover the ending. It’s distracting, and for years, viewers have been asking for more control.
Now, YouTube adds hide button for end screens, giving audiences the ability to dismiss those overlays with a single click. This small but meaningful update not only improves the viewing experience but also changes how creators think about engagement at the end of their videos.
The new “Hide” option places a dismiss button at the top-right of the player when end screens appear, allowing you to clear them — for that video only. It’s a way to restore the final few seconds of what you intended to watch, without forced overlays.
But this isn’t just a UI tweak. Behind it lies a balance between user experience, creator engagement, and platform metrics.
The New Feature: Hide Button for End Screens
When a video’s end screen displays (typically in the last 5–10 seconds), a “Hide” button appears in the top-right corner. Clicking or tapping it removes the overlays (recommendations, subscribe prompts, etc.). If a viewer later wants to restore the overlays, a “Show” button replaces “Hide” after dismissal.
Important limitation: the change is per video, not a global preference. You’ll need to hit “Hide” again for the next video.
The Removal of Hover-Based Subscribe Button
Concurrently, YouTube is removing the hover-based subscribe button that appears when you move your cursor over a channel’s watermark on desktop. That little overlay largely overlapped with existing subscription controls, and tests showed it contributed very little to new subscriptions.
The Rationale Behind This Update
End screens have long been a double-edged sword: helpful for creators, but annoying for many viewers. For videos with a dramatic or suspenseful ending, overlays clip into the zone. Letting users hide them acknowledges that some viewers prefer a clean finish over pushy CTAs.
User Control Wins Over Forced Engagement
Giving users more control is a trend across platforms. Rather than forcibly pushing recommendations, this feature cedes some engagement levers to viewer choice. YouTube’s internal tests showed that hiding end screens led to less than a 1.5% drop in end-screen-driven views — a relatively small trade-off for improved user experience.
What It Means for Creators & Channels
A Slight Shift in Engagement Metrics
End screens still function behind the scenes, but end-screen clicks may decline slightly — creators should monitor performance changes (even small ones) in analytics. The 1.5% “loss” is low, but impact might vary by niche or content style.
Stronger Demand for High-Quality CTAs
If users opt out of overlays, then the ones that remain must be compelling. Channels that rely on generic “watch next” prompts may see fewer endscreen-driven views; channels with tightly integrated, relevant CTAs stand to benefit.
The Future of End Screens
This update hints at YouTube’s evolving philosophy: prioritizing viewer agency, even if it sacrifices small metrics. In the long term, platforms that let users control more — without penalizing creators — may build deeper trust.
Reinforcing the Value of Quality Content
Overlay strategies have long been a shortcut for boosting internal navigation metrics. As viewers gain control, creators must lean more on content strength and smart hooks than forced redirects.
Possible Future: Global Preference Toggle
Given enough user demand and stable metrics, YouTube might consider a “Hide always” toggle rather than per-video. But for now, the per-video approach lets YouTube test and adjust with lower risk.
Creativity in overlay design — e.g. timing overlaps with narrative pauses, designing CTAs that don’t jar the viewer — becomes more important.
Viewer Tip: When End Screen Appears, Click Hide to Clear It
Click Show if you change your mind.
Creative Tip: In YouTube Studio, Keep Adding End Screens But Be Strategic About What Content Merits Them
Analysis Tip: In YouTube Analytics, track End screen element click rate before/after rollout to spot shifts.
Google Help UX Tip: For Content with a Dramatic Resolution, Consider Designs Where Overlays Don’t Visually Conflict (e.g. Semi-Transparent Overlays, Margin Gaps)