It Isn't Your Eyes Playing Tricks — The YouTube Progress Bar Actually Turns Pink, But Why?

If you thought your eyes were playing tricks on you or that your computer screen was on the verge of crapping out, we’ve got good news! You can now remove that MacBook from your Best Buy shopping cart and cancel that eye doctor appointment (unless you're overdue, of course) because the watch time bar on YouTube videos is actually turning pink!

It seems the progress bar on YouTube videos, which starts off red but gradually turns pink, is affecting YouTubers everywhere.

However, the rollout of this feature is hitting screens at different times. A Reddit user first noticed the change back in June 2024, prompting them to post their concerns and ask others if they had also seen the YouTube watching time bar turning pink. Now, with an influx of people seeing this pink bar appearing in October 2024, it raises an important question: Why is this happening?

When you scroll over a YouTube video that’s actively playing or pause it, you might notice the progress bar, which shows how much of the video you've watched, turns pink on the right side while the start of the bar remains red.

While YouTube hasn't addressed why the progress bar changes color, it could be attributed to aesthetics. Changing how a platform operates or updating the user interface can make it feel different for users, which is important in a world that's heavily reliant on technology and where people get bored easily.

Of course, it's pretty hard to get bored of YouTube, considering the variety of content available. One Reddit user asked, "Why do these dumbass companies insist on fixing things that aren't broke?" This comment received several replies, including one that might explain the reasoning behind the pink bar: "Otherwise they don't get paid or don't have a job. That's why companies always redesign their s--t or introduce worse features."

With the pink YouTube progress bar becoming more common, folks on Reddit are weighing in on this subtle yet impactful change. The shades of red and pink are so similar that many are left wondering if the bar is actually pink at all! This has sparked plenty of discussions about whether such a tweak is even needed, especially since it doesn’t seem to offer any benefits.

The change caught one Reddit user’s attention in mid-October when they finally noticed the new pink hue in the progress bar. "It just changed for me today. I don't understand the point of it. Honestly, I think it's harder on the eyes cause it creates additional strain with that fuchsia color next to the red. Also, I thought my monitor or video card was starting to die and not show colors properly. Again, why?"

Another commenter shared a similar sentiment, asking, "Was there any reason for this update other than messing around with the viewers? It actually hurts my eyes."

For now, it seems the YouTube progress bar's change from red to pink, whether at the end of the video or as it progresses, is primarily for appearance purposes. However, the YouTube account @Deep Humor mentioned that from their experience, when YouTube tests something out, they tend to stick with it. We'll have to see if YouTube keeps the progress bar shifting in colors or takes a hint from social media and decides to roll back this feature.