YouTube Finally Rolls Out Mobile App Explore Tab For Everyone

After years of testing, YouTube is officially rolling out its Explore tab to everyone. The new experience is found in the service's mobile app, where users get access to Trending Videos, as well as other content categories that are neatly sorted in individual buttons. The Explore tab is something like a central hub for all varieties of popular content, including gaming, news, and more.

The Explore tab will replace the current 'Trending' tab, which features a flame icon in the bottom menu of the app. The new Explore tab features a more appropriate compass icon; when tapped, it takes users to a hub with access to Trending videos, as well as popular content categories.

Google announced the general availability of the new Explore section on its Support website today, stating that the update with it is rolling out to users over the next few days on both iOS and Android. Once it arrives, users will also be able to use it to find rising artists and creators, as well as videos everyone else is watching.

You'll see the Explore section on smartphones and tablets. There's a good chance that you've already had access to Explore for months, however, as Google rolled it out to a number of people as part of its tests. Ultimately, this isn't a loss for users — they'll still get access to the trending content within Explore.

YouTube says the Explore tab it started rolling out this week is based on feedback from the users who got access to it during the test. It's unclear whether the company has changed anything about the final version in comparison to the version that was tested.