Annotations were interactive elements layered on YouTube videos, serving to provide additional information, links to other videos or channels, or calls to action. The process of disabling these elements involved adjusting playback settings to prevent their appearance during video viewing. This ensured an uninterrupted viewing experience, free from on-screen overlays.
The ability to manage these features was important for viewers who found them distracting or irrelevant. Disabling annotations allowed for a cleaner and more focused viewing session, prioritizing the core video content. Historically, annotations were a prevalent method for creators to engage with their audience, but their functionality has largely been superseded by end screens and cards, leading to their eventual deprecation by YouTube.