YouTube introduces pinch-to-zoom for more 18:9 smartphones

Google-owned YouTube has added the pinch-to-zoom option for smartphones for wider and bigger displays with 18:9 aspect ratio. This new feature will allow users to change the aspect ratio from the traditional 16:9 to 18:9, allowing users to fill the entire screen and remove the black bars at the edges.

This feature is rolling out with the latest YouTube for Android update v12.44. Some of the smartphones sporting an 18:9 aspect ratio display are the iPhone X, LG V30, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 XL.    

According to Android Police, previous versions of the YouTube app on Android did not have this feature enabled on other devices. Users who would be interested in trying out the feature will have to either update to 12.44 or go through the Google Play Store or, by downloading an APK file.

Early this month, YouTube for iOS received an update that brought in full-screen viewing for the iPhone X.