What you need to know
- After already testing on desktop and TV, YouTube is rolling out side-by-side livestream ads on mobile.
- Ads now appear on the bottom half of the screen while the livestream continues above, keeping the video visible at all times.
- The problem is that the livestream audio is muted during commercials and cannot be restored until the commercial ends.
YouTube is working to solve a long-standing problem with livestream ads, but the new solution may be distracting in another way.
The company has confirmed this Android Authority Side-by-side ads for livestreams are officially being released on mobile. Desktop and TV users have been seeing this format for over a year. On your phone, you’ll now see ads on the bottom half of the screen, with the livestream video above.
Now, you can watch the stream the entire time, so there is no longer a moment where you miss any part of the action during mid-roll commercials.
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‘silent film’ catch
But there’s a catch: The livestream audio is muted while the ad is playing, and you can’t turn it back on. This means viewers may miss important comments, sudden plays, or real-time reactions as Google replaces the sound of the stream with ad audio. For better or worse, it’s a compromise to keep the video visible.
The only real way to avoid these ads is to get YouTube Premium, which costs $15.99 per month in the US for individuals or $26.99 for families. Otherwise, you can expect automated mid-roll ads to appear during live streams of your favorite creators.
YouTube’s solution is adapted from the Twitch playbook. Instead of covering the video, the livestream shrinks and moves to a small window at the top of your screen. Ads take up space at the bottom, usually where live chat or descriptions are. This ensures visual continuity, ensuring you never leave the stream.
Google hasn’t said anything about the timing of these ads to avoid key moments in the stream.
Android Central’s Tech
This has one obvious benefit: viewers no longer have to guess what happened at key moments while the ad is running. Maintaining video continuity is a significant improvement. However, it appears that this approach makes the ads less visually disruptive, while the audio experience is compromised. Ultimately, viewers are left watching a silent stream during commercials.
