YouTube announced new features for the contribution it receives from its audience, such as providing the playback speed more customizable while making the sleep timer feature available for all users.
Now, the increments for playback speed are much finer at 0.05 compared to the earlier 0.25. This gives users finer control over how fast or slow they watch a video. While still being able to playback on 2x speed.
Probably more importantly, there’s the addition of the sleep timer, which, until now, was an option available to only Premium subscribers. Now, any user can activate a timer to stop playing in 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes, or even in 45 minutes, and in an hour. The facility allows users to decide when playback will stop when the playing of the current video has ended. This option is nice for those who just want to play their videos while sleeping without the thought of them playing all night long.
YouTube also brings improvements for iOS users who browse in landscape mode. These changes are most probably going to arrive later this year. The company refreshed the app mini-player as well. It is now resizable and can be moved around the screen to ensure better navigation.
Another outstanding feature is that it will enable users to create collaborative playlists. Indeed, multiple users can add and edit playlists through this feature. Additionally, YouTube is adding a feature whereby a creator can personalize the thumbnails with personal photos or generative AI tools.
YouTube also wants to make its community even more interactive. Later this year, users will be able to vote on videos within playlists. YouTube is bringing badges into both the YouTube and YouTube Music apps. Acknowledging the first supporters of a channel and those who complete quizzes.
Finally, YouTube is introducing changes that will enhance the television viewing experience. In general, users can expect aesthetic enhancements, including subtle touches in design, with the use of pink pops to make them more cinematic. On a smart TV, while browsing through a channel page, for instance, teasers of videos will automatically start playing to give instant previews of content.
These updates are odes to signal that YouTube seriously aims at changing its experience for good across devices.
ANI
