YouTube is being upgraded with several features that introduce new features on the video streaming platform, while improving existing capabilities. The Alphabet-owned company is rolling out “over two dozen” updates — including a new sleep timer, a resizable miniplayer, and the ability to fine-tune playback speed. Most of these features will be available on the web interface, the YouTube mobile and TV apps, and YouTube Music. Other features expected to arrive later this year include the ability to vote on videos in playlists.
YouTube Gets Sleep Timer, Resizable Miniplayer
One of the most notable changes coming to YouTube is a new sleep timer that will allow users to automatically set YouTube to stop video playback. This feature was previously available to Premium users and will finally be rolled out to all users. It will come in handy for users who tend to fall asleep while watching videos, only to wake up to a depleted battery — YouTube keeps the device’s screen on while playing videos, and the autoplay feature can keep the phone running for a while.
The miniplayer for videos on YouTube has also been updated, and users can now resize it or move it around the screen. The mobile video player was located at the bottom right corner of the screen, and the latest update brings the ability to relocate it to all four corners while browsing the app for more videos.
Improvements Coming to YouTube App on TV
The YouTube app for smart TVs is getting a fresh coat of paint, with improvements to the user interface for a “more cinematic feel”, according to the company. While browsing a channel, YouTube will automatically play a snippet of content from that creator, via the recently introduced immersive channel pages.
The YouTube app on TV will make use of the available space while playing Shorts
Photo Credit: YouTube
Meanwhile, the video player for YouTube Shorts has been updated on TV, allowing users to see comments or view shop content, while watching vertical videos on the platform. These appear on the right side of the centre-aligned player and YouTube says that they won’t negatively impact the viewing experience.
YouTube Collaboration Enhancements, Creator Badges
Collaborative playlists will soon become easier to set up, with the ability to send a unique link to other users. An upcoming update to the YouTube app on TV will introduce a new QR code feature that allows users to quickly join and collaborate on playlists. In the coming months, YouTube will also allow users to “vote” on videos in a playlist to push preferred videos to the top of a playlist — these voting icons seem to be inspired by the ones on Reddit.
YouTube will soon allow users to collect “badges” when they complete quizzes or become one of the first paid members of a creator’s channel, according to the company. Similarly, YouTube Music users will get badges when a creator likes their comment, or when they become an artist’s top listener. These badges are expected to roll out to users over the “next several weeks”.