What Does the Blue Dot Mean on YouTube?

What is blue dot on YouTube? When you scroll through your YouTube homepage or search results, you might notice that some videos have a small blue dot to the left of the thumbnail. Questions may arise on your mind about what does the blue dot mean on YouTube. Well, if you read the article until the end, you might feel relieved that it is not something to be feared of. Now let us switch our attention to another color indication and think of the question, what is red dot on YouTube? Let us attempt in finding the answers to both the questions discussed here.

What Does the Blue Dot Mean on YouTube?

What Does the Blue Dot Mean on YouTube?

The blue dot on YouTube usually appears next to a video that you haven’t watched yet. It serves as an indicator to help you keep track of which videos you’ve already seen and which ones you haven’t. Continue reading to know more about this feature.

What is Blue Dot on YouTube?

It can be seen against the subscribed YouTube channels on the Subscriptions page of your YouTube account. To put its purpose in simple words, it can be seen as a notification to let you know of new content posted on the channel. With the understanding of the answer to the question of what is blue dot on YouTube, let us proceed on to the further sections in the article.

Why does Blue Dot on YouTube Subscription Show Up?

The possible reasons why the blue dot on YouTube subscription is displayed on the Subscriptions page of the YouTube account are listed below.

  • New Content: It indicates that new content is available on the channel, which means that the creator has posted new content on the page.
  • Incomplete View: If you have not viewed the video or skipped watching it after viewing it for a few seconds, the temporary glitch caused due to this action may retain the blue dot.
  • Temporary Glitch: Any temporary glitch owing to a large user base and improper updates causing system errors.
  • Content is not Available: The content may be uploaded by the Creator but still may not be available for audience view.

Also Read: YouTube Rolls Out Podcasts in YouTube Studio

How to Remove a Blue Dot on YouTube

While using the Desktop version or via a web browser, you can see that the blue dot would not be visible on the YouTube channels. This is because the blue dot on the channels is replaced with the activities of the YouTube feed. With the understanding of the answer to the question of what does the blue dot mean on YouTube; we can guess the purpose of the activities layout.

The answers to the question of how to remove a blue dot on YouTube can be done by adopting any of the following options in the section.

Option I: Mark Content as Read

The foremost option to clear the blue dot on the YouTube subscription of your account is to read the content. The content may be a new video, post in the Community tab, or a Livestream, in the case of the desktop version. The mobile app can only indicate a new video is being posted on the channel. General news lists in the Subscriptions tab and YouTube recommendations may also contribute as content.

  • You can click on the specific channel with a blue dot and then click on the back arrow to return to the home page.
  • If a notification of the subscribed channel is sent, click on the message and read the notification message.
  • Check the notification of the YouTube channel with the blue dot and read all the posts on the channel.
  • Move to other tabs of the YouTube Channel and return to the home page.
  • Play the video on the YouTube channel and skip it to the end.

Option II: Clear Cache Files

As we know the answer to the question of what does the blue dot mean on YouTube, we can understand that the temporary glitches may also be a contributing factor. The cache files on the YouTube platform and the web browser may cause issues while streaming and the blue dot may not disappear from the subscriptions page.

  • You can refresh the page to clear the cached preview of the YouTube channel. Click on the reload icon at the top bar next to the URL address or press the Ctrl + R keys to reload the page.
  • Clear the cached data on the web browser as instructed in the link given here. This would clear all the temporary files that help in loading the YouTube videos.
  • The final option is to clear the cached files on the watch history and browser history. Follow the instructions in the article to clear the watch history of the browser.

Delete Google Chrome Cache

Option III: Use Alternative Options

The final option to fix the technical glitches on the YouTube platform and to remove the blue dot is to use any alternative option given below.

  • The first alternative option is to use the Incognito mode on the web browser. This would help in avoiding the cache files and you can remove the blue dot easily. Read the article to learn the method to enable the Incognito mode on the Google Chrome web browser.
  • If none of the options work, you can try using another web browser like Mozilla Firefox to view your YouTube account.

Incognito mode in Windows. What Does the Blue Dot Mean on YouTube?

Also Read: What If Your Comment is Highlighted on YouTube?

What is Red Dot on YouTube?

We have understood what does the blue dot mean on YouTube, and now let us find the meaning of the red dot on the YouTube subscription. Contrary to the blue dot is the red dot on the YouTube subscription. While the blue dot means the presence of new content on the YouTube channel, the red dot means the absence of the channel itself on the platform. The red dot next to the subscribed YouTube channel may occur due to one of the following reasons.

  • Temporarily unavailable: The YouTube channel may be temporarily unavailable for viewing or be imposed some restrictions. The reason for which the video is disabled may not be informed to the users.
  • Ban on YouTube Channel: The YouTube channel may be suspended from operating or be shadowbanned by the platform. In this case, the content on the disabled YouTube channel may never be available for preview.
  • Closed Channel: If the YouTuber has closed the channel, the red dot may be present next to the subscribed channel.

Why does Red Dot on YouTube Subscription Disappear?

It is very rare for YouTube users to see the red dot on YouTube channels. As the channels are blocked or disabled, they are removed from the Subscriptions tab of the platform. In some cases, the red dot on YouTube subscription may pertain for a relatively longer period but this does not stay on the display for so long.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Does Blue dot and Red dot mean the same on YouTube channel?

Ans. No, it indicates the presence of new content uploaded to the channel while the red dot denotes the blocked YouTube channel.

Q2. How long does the blue dot on YouTube last?

Ans. It does not have a specific period for display. It stays until the content is read or until any minor glitch on the platform is resolved.

Q3. Can I remove the red dot on YouTube?

Ans. No. You cannot remove the red dot on the YouTube channel as you cannot view the channel with the red dot.

Q4. Does the blue dot indicate a YouTube notification?

Ans. It is a similar indication to the YouTube notification but is not the same. This is because the notifications are sent to the account while the blue dot can only be viewed if we navigate to the subscriptions page.

Q5. Does updating YouTube help remove the blue dot?

Ans. As it is not an error or any temporary glitch, updating the YouTube app may not necessarily remove the blue dot on the platform. This can, however, be cleared by viewing or reading the message on the platform.

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The article explains the answer to the question of what does the blue dot mean on YouTube and gives an understanding of the related concepts. Kindly help us improve by sharing your suggestions and queries in the comments section.

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