YouTube has begun the process of eliminating the “Guest” profile feature from its applications on smart TVs, starting with Apple TV and Roku.
The YouTube interface for televisions maintains a consistent design and feature set across various platforms; however, Google sometimes implements modifications on specific versions ahead of others. The recent instance of this is the discontinuation of the “Guest” profile option.
In the YouTube app for TVs, users can switch between profiles easily. This functionality provides quick navigation to channel pages, other accounts, and YouTube Kids, following the removal of its dedicated app. Users also had access to a “Guest” profile, which YouTube seems to be eliminating.
As of now, the “Guest” profile is not visible in the YouTube app on either Roku or Apple TV. This update appears to have started rolling out to users approximately two weeks ago, and it seems to extend to Fire TV devices as well. The interface now only displays available profiles, an option to “Add account,” or the choice to switch to YouTube Kids.
A “use signed out” button is presented right below, which still enables viewers to access the YouTube app without signing into an account. This alteration does not seem to have impacted the Android TV/Google TV application yet.
Functionally, the transition to the “use signed out” button remains unchanged. When this feature is utilized, the app indicates that it is “switching to guest mode” while still retaining account details should users decide to “sign in” later. Rather than a complete feature elimination, this seems more like a visual update from Google’s side.
Google’s motivation for this modification may not be immediately obvious, but it is likely part of the ongoing efforts to encourage YouTube users to create accounts and maintain their watch history. In 2023, YouTube made adjustments to its platform, halting recommendations when users have their watch history disabled, even if they are signed in. This limitation similarly extends to signing out or using a guest profile.
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Contribution to this article was made by Chance Miller.
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