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YouTube starts testing timed emoji reactions on some channels
YouTube's latest experiment lets you shared timed emoji reactions on videos from a few channels. Read on to learn more.
YouTube has started testing a new feature that will let you share reactions at an exact moment in a video. It follows the timed comments feature that YouTube started testing in April last year, shortly after it first removed the dislike count on some videos. The feature is currently available on a small number of channels on the platform.
The YouTube app for Android is getting video transcriptions
The YouTube app on Android is finally getting the video transcription feature that has been available on YouTube desktop for a while. Read on to learn more.
The YouTube app for Android is getting a handy little feature that will let you view the complete transcription of any video right on the app. The feature was previously limited to the desktop version of YouTube, but it's now showing up for a couple of users on Android.
APK Teardown: YouTube could add support for image polls in community posts soon
We've spotted new strings in an APK teardown of the latest YouTube beta on Android which suggest that the platform could get support for image polls soon.
In October last year, YouTube lowered the eligibility criteria for community posts in an attempt to give more creators access to the feature. The platform previously required creators to have at least 1000 subscribers to create community posts but, starting October 12, it reduced this threshold to 500 subscribers. YouTube is now working on a new feature for community posts that could prompt more creators to use the feature.
YouTube Shorts might get a dedicated voiceover feature soon
An APK teardown of the latest YouTube beta for Android has revealed that the app is getting a dedicated voiceover feature for YouTube Shorts.
After debuting its TikTok clone in September 2020, YouTube released Shorts in over a hundred countries in July last year. Much like TikTok, YouTube Shorts allowed users to create short video clips up to 60 seconds in length within the YouTube app and it offered a couple of handy features, like the ability to add text to specific parts of the video, automatic captions, basic filters, and color correction.
YouTube is testing a new Smart Downloads feature on Android
YouTube is testing out a new Smart Downloads feature on the app that automatically downloads 20 new videos when connected to Wi-Fi.
If you use YouTube music, you would be aware of the Smart Downloads feature baked into the app. It's essentially a feature that downloads some tracks offline whenever you're connected to Wi-Fi so as to conserve mobile data when you're out and about. The YouTube app on Android is testing something similar on the video side of things. Smart Downloads on the YouTube app will automatically download a bunch of videos every week based on an algorithm for recommended videos.
YouTube tests a new gesture to let you scrub videos faster
YouTube for Android is rolling out a new slide to seek gesture that makes scrubbing through videos a lot more convenient.
Last year, YouTube removed the ability to tap anywhere on the seek bar to jump to that specific point in a video. Instead, the new method now requires the user to hold and slide their finger over the seek bar to move forward or backward. Building upon this change, YouTube is testing a nifty gesture in the Android app for faster and easier video scrubbing.
YouTube may soon let you play entire videos right on the home page
The YouTube app may soon let you play entire videos on the home page, complete with audio and captions. Read on to learn more.
The YouTube app currently shows previews of videos when you're browsing through them on the home page. The previews play automatically as you scroll through the home page, giving you a glimpse of the video before you even tap on it. However, the autoplay previews don't play with sound, and the app doesn't give you an option to turn on captions. But YouTube has now started testing a new change that will let you play entire videos on the app's home page, complete with sound, an option to turn on subtitles, and even a progress bar to let you scrub through the video.
YouTube on Android may soon let you see comments in full-screen view
YouTube for Android is testing a new comments section layout for the full-screen view that will let you view comments right next to the video.
According to recent reports, the YouTube app on Android might soon let you see comments while in full-screen view. The new comments section layout has already started rolling out to some users, and it appears on the right half of the display when you're watching a video in full-screen view.
YouTube Shorts rolls out to all creators in the US with a couple of new features in tow
YouTube Shorts will roll out to all creators in the US within this week and it will come with a couple of interesting new features.
YouTube debuted its TikTok-alternative Shorts in India back in September last year. The feature made its way to the US early this year, but it was only available on the beta channel and several creators didn't have access to it. YouTube is now rolling out Shorts to all creators in the US, and it comes with a couple of new features.
YouTube may soon show video titles, descriptions and captions in your native language
YouTube is testing a new feature that will automatically translate video titles, descriptions, and captions to your native language.
YouTube often tests new features with a small subset of its users before rolling them out to a broader audience. Over the last few months, the platform has conducted several such tests, like hiding the dislike count on some videos, a new clips feature, and more. YouTube has now started testing another cool new feature that will automatically translate video titles, descriptions, captions, and more to your native language.
YouTube now lets you play videos in 4K resolution on devices with low-res displays
YouTube may have unintentionally enabled unsupported video resolution options, allowing users to play videos in 4K on devices with low-res screens.
The Youtube app on Android lets you play videos at up to 4K resolution. All you need is a phone with a 4K display and a decent internet connection, and you're good to go. However, it seems like Google has now opened up unsupported video resolution options on some devices, allowing some users to play 4K videos on a device with a low-resolution display.
YouTube for Android rolls out default video quality settings and removes ability to tap the seek bar to skip
YouTube has added a simplified menu for choosing video resolution in its Android app but has disabled the ability to tap on the progress bar.
YouTube is in the midst of a number of tweaks ranging from the semi-accidental to the deliberate.
NewPipe 0.20.0 brings a new unified video player and much more to the open source YouTube client
NewPipe's latest release in the stable channels brings along a ton of changes and improvements, including the new Unified Player. Read on!
NewPipe is an open-source YouTube client for Android, serving itself as an alternative for users who either dislike the official app or do not have Google Play Services installed on their device. In a nutshell, NewPipe parses the YouTube website to extract data and play videos, without restrictions and ads. A few days ago, NewPipe was testing a new Unified Player UI in its test builds, and now, the app has been updated in the stable branch with the new Unified Player UI and other changes.
The YouTube mobile app still limits video quality to 480p in India, even after 3 months of restrictions
YouTube for Android and iOS continues to restrict all video streaming in India to 480p, despite internet traffic barely surging through lockdown. Read on!
COVID-19 has affected this year in a lot of ways, and we cannot even begin to assess the damage the pandemic has done at large. Even within the limited and narrow scope of smartphones and the related tech industry, the pandemic has made everyone rethink whether physical launch events are still needed when online-only events can serve as decent alternatives. The focus has shifted from physical experiences to digital experiences and combined with the health advisories issued because of the pandemic that advises people to stay indoors, we have witnessed a surge in online activity. Consequently, Internet service companies took pre-emptive steps to ensure that their infrastructure does not collapse—for instance, YouTube decided to restrict maximum video streaming quality to 480p in India in a move that many deemed to be temporary.
[Update: Official] YouTube tests video chapters to help you jump forward to specific parts
YouTube is testing with "video chapters" which will let you jump forward or backward quickly to specific parts of a video.
YouTube videos are available in a variety of lengths, starting from 30-second short videos and going all the way up to 12 hours, even though you can even find much longer videos from the past. While watching long content like tutorials, it is common to skip forward to the intended time. So to help with that, YouTube is adding new functionality in the form of "video chapters" that lets you can skip forward or rewind to any specific part of the video without having to drag the scrubber.
Google tests showing related gameplay videos in Play Store listings
Google has started testing a new feature on the Play Store which shows related gameplay videos from YouTube on popular game listings.
The Google Play Store is home to millions of apps and in order to help users find the right app, the company keeps introducing new features to either simplify the process or offer more useful information. For instance, the company added new download count and app size components to the search results earlier this year in March. Then, in an attempt to help users find apps easily, Google started testing new search filters for ratings earlier this month. Now, according to a recent report from Android Police, the company has started showing related gameplay videos from YouTube in Play Store listing to give users an idea of what to expect when they download a game.
YouTube for Android tests showing a recommended Google Search result when searching in YouTube
The YouTube app on Android is testing a new feature that will show recommended Google Search results when searching within the app.
Following the recent rollout of the new Bedtime Reminders feature in YouTube for Android, Google has now started testing a new feature that will show search results from the web within the app. The feature was recently spotted by Reddit user u/TheMrIggs when he searched "open beer with knife" in the YouTube app. As you can see in the screenshots below, the results listed a couple of related videos, as usual, followed by a new "Results from the web" card featuring a recommended result from Google Search for the same query.
YouTube adds bedtime reminders to help you stop watching videos at night
The YouTube app on Android and iOS is getting a new Bedtime Reminders feature to help you stop watching videos at night and get some sleep.
An APK teardown of the YouTube app on Android (v15.13.33) early last month revealed that the platform was working on a new feature called Bedtime Reminders. Now, according to a recent report from The Verge, YouTube has officially announced the new feature to help users log off the platform at night.
YouTube adds a swipe down gesture to exit fullscreen videos
The YouTube app on Android now has a new swipe gesture that lets you swipe down anywhere in the fullscreen view to quickly exit to the video page.
Over the last couple of months, Google has released a couple of design changes for the YouTube app on Android. These include a test to show channel previews in the comments section, a new Explore tab to help users find new videos, new filters in the subscription feed, a UI update to move the comments section below the video description. Now, according to a recent report from Android Police, YouTube has added a new gesture to help users quickly exit a fullscreen video.
YouTube for Android tests putting the comments below the video description
Google is testing a new comments layout for the YouTube app on Android in which the comments appear within a window underneath the video description.
Over the last couple of months, Google has released a couple of design changes for the YouTube app on Android. These include a test to show channel previews in the comments section, a new "Explore" tab to help users find new videos, and new filters in the subscription feed. Now, the company is testing another UI update which will make it easier for users to check the comments under any video.