YouTube Music adds shuffle controls and offline mixtape access to its new recommendations

The less time you spend tapping through the YouTube Music app, the better

In Android 11, we saw the introduction of a centralized hub for media control that sits inside the notification dropdown, and more recently, we saw a smarter use of that space, with YouTube Music adding playlist recommendations that you can tap on a whim, so you can get listening without even opening the app. It looks like YouTube Music is working to expand on these outside-the-app controls.

As reported by 9to5Google, YouTube Music's new music suggestions panel now shows a couple of extra options. The first one is a shuffle button, although you might actually need to squint a bit to see it right now because of an apparent visual bug (which will probably be fixed down the line). The second one is another playlist shortcut, but instead of being a recommendation, it allows you to easily access to your offline mixtape, if you have one downloaded. The fact that these options are there means that you can access them from your notification shade, or even your lock screen, without needing to open the full YouTube Music app, saving you some taps.

Source: 9to5Google

These two options sit in the same place as the recommendation shelf currently does, and just like that feature, this is also exclusive to Android 12 users — and presumably, Android 13 users, whenever that comes out.

If you haven't seen the recommendation shelf on your phone yet, chances are you'll see it with these two options as well whenever it rolls out to your device. Make sure your YouTube Music app and your phone are both fully updated.