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How to Make YouTube Videos Fill the Whole Screen on Any Phone

A person holding a smartphone displaying a scene of two individuals interacting from different levels of a building.

Fullscreen isn't always fullscreen, especially on your smartphone. As screens get taller and bezels get slimmer, more phones end up with an aspect ratio that doesn't match most YouTube videos. Luckily the video-sharing app has a nifty workaround to fill your screen.

First, open the YouTube app for iPhone or Android and find a video to play. This trick doesn't work on YouTube in your mobile web browser, so you must use the official app. Next, play the video and rotate your phone into landscape mode. Although the video is technically in fullscreen, there will most likely be black bars surrounding the sides of the video.

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How to Make YouTube Videos Fill the Whole Screen on Any Phone

Now, to make the YouTube video fill the entire screen, simply pinch out with two fingers. A "Zoomed to fill" bubble will appear at the top, confirming that your video is now filling the screen on your phone. Pinch in with two fingers to go back to the original video size.

Cover photo, screenshots, and GIF by Nelson Aguilar/Gadget Hacks

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