A frustrating bug has emerged within the YouTube app that causes it to default to the Shorts feature each time it is opened, leaving many users bewildered and annoyed.

YouTube has invested heavily in its Shorts feature, aiming to replicate the addictive experience akin to TikTok. With a dedicated tab for Shorts and integration into Home and Subscription feeds, the platform emphasizes bite-sized content more than ever. However, a growing number of users are reporting an issue where the app launches directly into Shorts instead of going to their Home page.

This problem seems particularly common for users who previously viewed Shorts, but recent reports indicate that it can occur regardless of the user's last watched content. In testing on devices such as the Nothing Phone (3a) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, it becomes clear that when the YouTube app starts, it erroneously opens to Shorts instead of the homepage. This misbehavior seems to be related to a glitch where upon loading a Short, some remnants of the interface suggest that the app is mistakenly prioritizing Shorts over the standard homepage layout.

User feedback on various forums like Reddit has indicated a rise in reports of this issue over the past couple of weeks. However, the exact scope of the problem remains unclear, with no confirmation yet on whether iOS users are affected.

Attempting to close or force-stop the app does not resolve the issue, but users have found that performing a "reset" by clearing the app’s storage or cache temporarily fixes it. Unfortunately, once the Shorts feature is accessed again, the glitch returns. As YouTube comes pre-installed on most Android devices, a complete uninstall of the app isn’t feasible, but users can reset the app by uninstalling updates via the Google Play Store.

In exciting news for YouTube users, the company has recently announced plans to redesign its TV app, fueled by a rise in viewership rates. Additionally, YouTube Premium Lite is now rolling out, providing an option to enjoy a majority of videos without ads for just $7.99 per month.

Are you facing this annoying glitch? Keep an eye on updates from YouTube, as they work to iron out these kinks for their users!