Dear gbickel,
The change you noticed, where holding down down the fast or rewind button no longer continuously seeks through the video, is not a universal system change but rather a change in functionality implemented by the app developers themselves in recent years, likely as part of user interface updates or to standardize controls across different devices. This behavior is intentional, and there is no setting to revert it to continuous seek function within the apps.
Why this is happening
App Developer Decisions: Each app Developer (Paramount+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max/Now, YouTube TV, etc.) controls how fast forward and rewind functions work within their specific application.
Standardization: Many developers have moved towards making a single press or click of the left/right navigation button result in a fixed-duration skip (e.g., 10 or 15 seconds).
Enhanced Control: Some developers prefer this method as it allows for more precise, consistent jumps, sometimes with a visual preview thumbnail, rather than the variable speed of continuous holding.
Ad-Related Restrictions: In some cases, particularly for a non-ad-free tires or live content, content providers may program the app to disable or restrict the FF/RW feature altogether to ensure ads are watched, though this doesn't apply to method of seeking itself.
Potential workarounds (depending on your devices)
While you cannot revert the behavior to continuous holding, you may have other options depending on the type of streaming devices you use (e.g., Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TV):
Repeated Tapping: The intended use now is to rapidly tap the fast forward/rewind button to jump ahead in increments until you reach your desired spot. This is the behavior you described.
Alternative Buttons: On some remotes, there are specific "FF" and "RW" buttons seperate from the directional navigation arrows. One set might behave differently than the other (e.g., arrows for skipping, dedicated buttons for continuous seeking, or vice-versa).
App-Specific Gestures: On some devices like the Apple TV, you might be able to use a swiping or "scrubbing" gesture on the remote's touch surface to control the seek speed and direction with more precision.
Troubleshooting Glitches: If the behavior is inconsistent or suddenly changed mid-session, it might be a temporary glitch.
Restart the App: Try closing the app and reopening it.
Reboot Device: Perform a system restart of your streaming device (unplugging it for a minute can help).
From, Evan C.
Evan Cooper
