If you use your phone in locked portrait mode all the time, it can be frustrating trying to view YouTube videos in full screen with the little button on the UI. Luckily, there's a better way to use the app's built-in gestures:you can simply swipe up on a video to fill the screen, and swipe down to return to portrait orientation. P>
We've written about this feature before, but it seems like it's easy to miss; most people I showed it to had no idea it existed.
Of course, this feature also works on Android phones, which I personally like better than having to press the auto-rotate button built into the OS.
There is one obvious limitation:it only spins one way. If you want to hold your phone with the left side up, you're out of luck unless you turn off portrait lock. Still, it's a lot better than having to tap the video once for the UI controls to appear, then trying to hit the little fullscreen button.
Now all we need is for this feature to be added to all other apps (or for our phones to become smart enough to realize that if I watch a video and I turn my phone, I probably want to see the video in full screen, despite the portrait lock).
