[Bring it back] What happened with YouTube Sort by Oldest Video sorting feature?

YouTube is arguably the most popular video platform in the world and it is constantly getting updates and new changes. Even though some updates add exciting new features, there are times when the changes aren’t well received because of decisions that the users consider questionable. For instance, many users are unhappy with YouTube’s decision to remove the dislike button. Many users are also wondering what happened with YouTube Sort by Oldest Video sorting feature.

YouTube Sort by Oldest Video sorting feature was a feature that allowed users to sort their search results by the oldest video first. This was useful for users who were looking for older videos or wanted to see the evolution of a particular topic over time.

However, YouTube decided to remove this feature in one of their updates. While it is not clear why the company decided to remove this feature, it is likely that it was removed due to low usage or to make room for other features.

Fortunately, there is still a way to access the YouTube Sort by Oldest Video sorting feature on Android devices. To do this, you will need to follow all the steps mentioned below.

How to bring back YouTube Sort by Oldest Video sorting feature (Android)?

Step 1: Install Android SDK

To start off, install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC or computer. It’s the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google. You should download it and extract it to a convenient location on your PC. Doing this will give you the necessary platform-tools folder.

Step 2: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

Then, you will need to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your smartphone. The former makes your smartphone recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. Meanwhile, it’ll allow you to easily boot your smartphone to Fastboot Mode.

OEM Unlocking will be needed to carry out the bootloader unlocking process. You’ll need to go to Settings -> About Phone -> Tap on Build number 7 times -> Return to Settings -> System -> Developer Options -> Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.

Step 3: Verify ADB Shell Connection

• Start off by connecting your device to the PC via a USB cable but ensure that USB Debugging is enabled
• After that, head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter to launch the Command Prompt
• Type the following command in the CMD window for verifying the ADB connection –

adb devices

• If you get the device ID, it’ll mean that the connection stands successful
• Type in the following command to open the Shell environment –

adb shell

• It’ll list out your device codename, which means that the shell connection has been established successfully

Step 4: Uninstall the YouTube app via ADB command

Execute the following command in the CMD window for uninstalling the YouTube app from your device –

pm uninstall –user 0 com.google.android.youtube

Step 5: Sideload the old YouTube APK

• Download an older version of the YouTube app from a third-party website and install it on your device
• Once it is installed, don’t launch the app as Play Store will automatically update it to the newest build
• Instead, you should disable auto-update for this app
• Head over to Settings -> Apps -> See All Apps before selecting YouTube from the list
• Scroll to the end before tapping on App Details and you will be taken to the app’s Play Store page
• Tap on the overflow icon located at the top right and then uncheck Enable Auto-updates
• Now, launch YouTube and Sort by Oldest Video option will be available in the app

It is important to bear in mind that the methods mention above will work only on Android to enable sort your search results by oldest. There are potentially other options available, so it might be worth exploring to find one that aligns with your requirements. To sum up, YouTube has discontinued the Sort by Oldest Video sorting feature, but it can still be accessed by employing few easy steps on Android.