The Evolution of the YouTube Progress Bar (2005-2025)
Since launching in 2005, YouTube has changed the progress/volume/tool bar on their video player several times. Here’s what it’s looked like through the years:1
I don’t remember the first two or three at all, but that 2008-2010 version is a nostalgia bomb, albeit a deceptive one. You might be fooled into remembering that it used to be very simple, but the whole progress/tool bar is cut off in the graphic above; here’s the full version.
I’d love to see versions of this for iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, and other players.
- I don’t know who made the original…the furthest back I could track it was about a month ago on Reddit and FB.↩
Comments 2
iTunes over the years:
https://www.versionmuseum.com/history-of/itunes-app
...just for fun, since we are looking at player UIs...I'll date myself with the following gem: WinAmp. For those who actually have taste, WinAmp was a very early MP3 app that allowed users to customize ("skin") the player...and BOY did we skin this thing...
https://skins.webamp.org
Oh no, I've fallen into a hole and can't get out - MacOS next: https://www.versionmuseum.com/history-of/mac-os-x
And ironically, they've started this year to roll out a whole new bar...which gets rid of the bar!
Much more iOS26 coded.
https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-new-video-player-ui-test-web-3547254/
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