Google Lens is finding new ways to make YouTube Shorts even more annoying

YouTube seems to be testing a new placement for the Google Lens button, putting it in the center of the screen when Shorts are paused.

The button obstructs video content and leads to accidental taps when users try to resume playback.

The change isn’t widely available yet, but several Reddit users are already complaining about it.

YouTube Shorts have never really been the streaming platform’s fan-favorite feature, and there’s no shortage of signs pointing to that. The format often pushes low-quality brain rot content and bombards users with repetitive videos. Now Google seems to have found an all-new way of making the experience feel frustrating.

I’m guilty of scrolling through the same sloppy feed now and then, and during one of my recent sessions, I encountered a rather annoying change. For reference, in May of last year, Google gave Shorts a handy Lens button to run a visual on objects within videos. …