YouTube for Android v5.0 rolls out with card-style UI, video multitasking and more

Google has updated the official YouTube for Android app, and the latest version is massively feature-packed.

Version 5.0 is now rolling out, and Android Police and Droid-Life have both reported that the redesigned app features a new app icon and card-style interface. On the functionality side, there are huge improvements to multitasking such as video-preview overlays.

Users can now send any video to a small preview screen in the bottom right by swiping down and pressing the down arrow in the top left. Alternatively, users can just press the back button. Users can therefore navigate and watch video simultaneously, resume full screen by tapping the preview, or exit the preview by swiping to the side. Sliding to the side will even fade the video's volume.

The new gestures only work in portrait mode on smartphones, but they are available in both orientations on tablets. Speaking of tablets, the landscape UI is no longer only full screen like it is on Android smartphones.

Additional tweaks include a reworked slide-out navigation, quick access to history, favorites, playlists, uploads and watch later directly from the slide-out menu, and the ability to search for playlists. There's a host of smaller changes, too: for instance, users don't need to tap on arrows from the video page to rate or flag, and HD and CC toggles are now available in the menu.

Check out Google Play to get the latest version of YouTube for Android.