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Google has rolled out a fix for a glitch that left some YouTube users seeing missing thumbnails and YouTube TV users staring at fully blacked-out screens. The company confirmed the issue, which mainly hit users in Texas, is now resolved after previously suggesting a workaround of switching internet connections.
A YouTube video titled 'I'm Back,' credited to Eminem but actually created with AI voice-cloning tools, has drawn more than 100,000 views since being posted last week. The clip ranks highly in YouTube searches for the rapper, outperforming some of his genuine charting songs, despite an artificial-sounding beat and vocals. Many commenters in the video's replies appear to believe it's a legitimate new release from Mathers.
Many users are reporting that their YouTube feed, including grids and video titles, fails to load across Android, iOS, web browsers, smart TVs, and even the YouTube TV app. YouTube has acknowledged the problem in a support forum post and is investigating, while suggesting switching networks or disabling Wi-Fi as a temporary workaround.
YouTube offers just one sanctioned method for downloading videos: a YouTube Premium subscription. Originally limited to mobile devices, the download feature has since expanded to desktop platforms after testing began in 2020. However, videos saved this way can only be viewed within the YouTube app and cannot be repurposed for editing or reuse elsewhere.
Disney has agreed to pay $50 million to settle Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company, a lawsuit accusing it of using ESPN's leverage to force streaming services into pricier bundled channel packages. The settlement covers anyone who subscribed to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream (including DirecTV Now or AT&T TV Now) between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026, and claims must be filed by Sept. 8. Disney denies wrongdoing, and payout amounts will vary based on subscription length and total number of claims submitted.
The developer of the Android Auto app Xtream Player (formerly Fermata Xtream) released version 1.6.0, adding an experimental feature that lets users send videos from their phone directly to their car screen. The update also introduces a Winamp-inspired music visualizer with nine styles, available to both free and premium users.
A developer released VODForge, a free and open-source desktop application that lets users download YouTube videos and playlists as MP4 files or MP3 audio. The app runs locally, offering controls for quality, download queues, metadata, and cover art without requiring an online converter or command-line tools. It is MIT licensed, requires no account, and ships signed and notarized for macOS with Authenticode signing on Windows.
Times columnist James Marriott has expanded his viral essay on declining reading habits into a new book, 'The New Dark Ages,' published this week. The reviewer, a fellow journalist and friend of Marriott's, describes it as an entertaining but troubling 50,000-word argument about how digital media, especially YouTube, is reshaping childhood attention and literacy for the worse.
Sideloading lets Android Auto users add apps Google hasn't approved, including video-capable YouTube clients, bypassing the platform's official restrictions. This method skips Google's security vetting, and Google itself notes that sideloaded apps carry over 50 times more malware than apps from the Play Store. Google plans to require developer identity verification for sideloaded apps starting in late 2026 to curb these risks.
YouTube has rolled out a companion feature that syncs its mobile app with whatever video is playing on a TV, as long as both devices are signed into the same account. Users can comment, subscribe, search, or browse Shorts on their phone without interrupting the video on screen, and can send videos to the TV directly. The two devices don't even need to share the same Wi-Fi network.
A tech writer subscribed to YouTube Premium Lite hoping for an ad-free experience without bundled services like YouTube Music, but found sponsored videos still appearing throughout the app on both TV and mobile after activation. Despite accepting that ads would remain on Shorts and music videos, they discovered sponsored placements interspersed regularly in their regular viewing feed as well, prompting them to cancel the subscription after just one month.
A new macOS Safari extension called Weedout removes videos that YouTube has tagged with its "Made with AI" disclosure badge from a user's home feed, search results, related videos, playlists and Shorts. The tool costs $1.99 as a one-time purchase, requires macOS 13 or later, and runs entirely locally without collecting user data.