YouTube tests remove Subscriptions tab

9to5Google reported on May 18 that YouTube is testing a mobile redesign that removes the dedicated Subscriptions tab from the app’s bottom navigation bar for some users. The publication said the change appeared in a limited experiment and moved Subscriptions into a secondary row beneath the YouTube logo, where it sits alongside filters such as “Music” and “New to You.” YouTube has not publicly announced the test on its official blog or Help Center pages reviewed on May 19. Google’s support documentation still tells users that new videos from channels they follow appear in the Subscriptions tab, and says the Home tab also shows videos from subscriptions alongside recommendations. ### Where did the Subscriptions tab go in this test? 9to5Google said the missing button was replaced in the bottom bar, while Subscriptions appeared higher up in a swipeable secondary menu below the app header. (9to5google.com) The report described that row as mixing the relocated subscriptions feed with the same sort of topical filters users already see on the Home screen. Android-focused follow-up coverage on May 19 described the same layout as a test rather than a confirmed redesign. (support.google.com) Those reports cited 9to5Google’s observation that the change was limited and not yet a broad rollout. ### What changes for people who use subscriptions every day? YouTube’s own help page says subscriptions are the place where new videos from followed channels appear, while Home combines those uploads with recommendations. (9to5google.com) That distinction matters because the Subscriptions feed has long served as a more direct route to recently published videos from chosen creators. In the tested layout described by 9to5Google, users would still be able to reach subscriptions, but not from the long-standing bottom-navigation shortcut. (english.bombaysamachar.com) The report said access instead shifted to the upper menu, and the card briefing for this story said some Android users could also reach subscriptions through Library or the account menu. ### Is this part of a broader YouTube redesign? (support.google.com) YouTube has been changing navigation across devices in recent months. On May 8, 9to5Google reported that the YouTube app for TVs, including Google TV, was rolling out a new sidebar that made Library easier to reach and highlighted recently watched channels. Android Authority also reported in February that YouTube was testing changes to the subscriptions experience on TVs. (9to5google.com) That earlier experiment affected how videos were displayed inside Subscriptions rather than removing the mobile tab itself, but it showed the company was already adjusting one of the app’s core follow-based surfaces. ### Has YouTube confirmed a wider rollout? (9to5google.com) Google had not published a formal announcement about the mobile tab change in the sources reviewed by May 19. The absence of an official support update is notable because YouTube’s help documentation still refers users to the Subscriptions tab by name. A test like this does not by itself establish that YouTube will make the design permanent. (androidauthority.com) For now, the clearest public record is 9to5Google’s May 18 report and YouTube’s existing support pages, which still describe the current subscription workflow. (9to5google.com) (support.google.com)