YouTube Pause Ads, first announced in March 2024 for YouTube Select, then in April 2025 for Connected TVs, later expanded in May to mobile devices but in horizontal format only.
Now, the format is available in both vertical and horizontal orientations and supports various image ratios.
Here’s how the same ads look in a horizontal format:
These ads are served via Demand Gen campaigns and appear when a viewer pauses a video, disappearing once playback resumes, offering a non-intrusive way to deliver a message when attention is most focused.
Ideal for remarketing, this format enables advertisers to reinforce messaging across screen types and orientations with minimal disruption.
This update was shared by Victor Sellés Guillemat.