Key Takeaways
YouTube now offers more granular controls for playback speed, improved landscape mode, and an adjustable miniplayer. Users can now collaborate on playlists with QR code invites, set custom thumbnails, and soon vote on playlists. YouTube is rolling out features like Sleep Timer for everyone, badges for various milestones, and visual upgrades to YouTube TV.
YouTube is the biggest and, without a doubt, the most popular video platform available online. The service hosts billions of videos, with the number of monthly active users amounting to a couple of billion worldwide too. As such, it's natural for Google to continue improving its product to retain its existing customer base and reach new audiences. We recently learned that the company has started to show ads even when you pause a video, and while that change is slightly controversial, the firm is now rolling out some big updates that may appease its customers too.
What are some of the big updates now available in YouTube?
This year is drawing to a close, but Google still has a lot in store for YouTube customers. Starting with some headlining enhancements, we have more granular controls for playback speed, which now have steps of 0.05 rather than 0.25. Additionally, improvements have been made to the YouTube app overall, and more specifically the landscape mode, such that it now features bigger thumbnails and text. Interestingly, the miniplayer can now be resized and moved within the app, which is perfect for people who like to multitask within YouTube while watching content. All of these capabilities are now rolling out and should be available across YouTube platforms over the next few days and weeks.
Great! Are there other exciting updates too?
YouTube is making it easier to collaborate on playlists through invites shared via QR codes. Moreover, custom thumbnails can be set for playlists, including those created with the help of the built-in AI model. Towards the end of the year, YouTube will also allow customers to vote on playlists, which is good for both content creators and consumers.
The company has also noted that its Sleep Timer received "rave" reviews from YouTube Premium subscribers, so it's now rolling out the feature to everyone. Moreover, the firm will release badges over the next few weeks that users can earn for accomplishing various milestones, such as being a top listener, completing quizzes, and being an early paid subscriber to a YouTuber. And finally, YouTube TV customers haven't been left out in the cold either; that platform is receiving a bunch of visual upgrades and enhancements, and you can read more about them here.