YouTube has been rolling out some experimental AI features lately, mostly tucked away under settings or behind new update requirements. One weird thing I noticed is a hidden option to watch Shorts in landscape mode, but it’s not super obvious, especially since it’s aimed at accessibility users and only on certain devices. If you’ve been trying to flip those vertical Shorts sideways and it doesn’t work, don’t worry—this might be why. Figuring out how to enable this feature can save you some flipping and make watching Shorts more natural on big screens or in certain situations.
Watching YouTube Shorts in Landscape
This isn’t a standard feature like just rotating your device; it’s tucked away in the Accessibility settings of the YouTube app, which…kind of makes sense, since it’s mainly meant for people with disabilities who need a different viewing experience. But hey, if you want to give it a shot, here’s what you need to do—just note, it’s not available on all phones or all app versions yet, so it’s kind of hit-or-miss.
How to View YouTube Shorts in Landscape Mode
First off, make sure your YouTube app is up to date from the Google Play Store—because, of course, YouTube has to make it harder than necessary. You’ll need at least version 17.01.33 or newer, otherwise this toggle won’t show up. Also, not every device supports this, so if your Pixel or other compatible device doesn’t have the option, that’s probably why.
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap the You icon at the bottom right corner (that’s your profile pic or avatar).
- Go to the Settings gear icon — usually in the top right or menu.
- Scroll down to Video and audio preferences and tap Accessibility.
- Flip the toggle next to ‘Rotate Shorts’. If you don’t see it, then this feature isn’t available on your device or app version yet.
This toggle essentially tells the app you want Shorts to automatically rotate to landscape when you tilt your device. Once toggled, open any Shorts video—then physically rotate your phone to landscape, and it should switch accordingly. Honestly, it’s kind of weird that this toggle is only in Accessibility, but that’s the way it is right now. On some setups, the feature works perfectly right away, on others, you might need to restart the app or even your phone.
If you don’t see the option, try updating your app, or just wait. Not every device or region has access yet, but as YouTube rolls this out slowly, it might appear later. Also, some users report toggling airplane mode or clearing the app cache helps pull in new features faster. You can clear cache by going to Settings > Apps & notifications > YouTube > Storage & cache > Clear cache.
Another thing worth mentioning: on some newer phones with gyroscopes enabled, just rotating your device might automatically switch the video to landscape once you enable this toggle—kind of a hit-or-miss, but worth trying if you’re impatient.
Anyway, that’s the gist. If your device supports it, you can seamlessly watch Shorts without constantly holding in portrait mode or awkwardly trying to tilt the phone. It’s a quiet rollout, so don’t get discouraged if it’s not working right away.