A powerful content distribution platform encourages people to connect and inspire others through content creators and advertisers large and small. Additionally, YouTube spares no effort in improving its software with the latest features and updates for the masses.
For example, when Google improved its algorithm and added YouTube videos to its search results, more people switched to YouTube. With its growing popularity, many companies and influencers are making fortunes by attracting viewers to their YouTube channels.
According to TOI, YouTube’s Chief Product Officer Neil Mohan said, “Each of these updates is based on extensive discussion and data, as well as feedback from the entire YouTube community.”
With updates for both creators and viewers, YouTube knows how to improve the user experience and keep audiences engaged.
On October 27, YouTube announced that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals can now credit their YouTube accounts.
“This next step will allow us to grow with quality information from a broader range of health channels,” YouTube said in a statement.
Those who may seek certification include both mental health professionals and health information providers.
“This includes health resource dashboards that help viewers find videos from trusted sources, and health content shelves that highlight videos from those sources when they search for health topics,” YouTube said.
Google‘s own video-sharing platform said those wishing to apply “must have proof of their license and follow best practices for sharing health information as recommended by the Council of Professional Medical Societies, the National Academy of Medicine, and others.” Medicine and the World Health Organization are defined. “And we have a chain in place. Well done on YouTube.”
While the application process for health. youtube began in the United States on the day of the announcement, the company said it will expand to other markets and include other medical specialties in the future.
On October 10th, YouTube introduced “handles” — essentially a “name” that content creators will use across platforms.
“Each channel will have unique controls to make it easier for fans to discover content and connect with the creators they love,” YouTube said in a statement.
According to YouTube, the unique account name will be visible on channel pages and short videos. Users can add a ticker to comments, video descriptions, collaborations, and titles, just like most other social media platforms.
Handles are different from channel names. YouTube explained that the handles would serve as “another way of identifying a YouTube channel.”
“But unlike channel names, the controls are really unique to each channel, allowing creators to promote their own presence and brand on YouTube,” the company said.
According to YouTube, the feature will roll out soon and creators will be notified when it’s available on their channels. Personal URLs have the same name by default, but you have the option to change it if you wish.
“The point at which a creator enters the click selection process depends on a number of factors, including overall presence on YouTube, number of subscribers, and whether or not the channel is active,” YouTube said.
Ads cannot be skipped
YouTube is quietly testing a new feature that will show users five non-skippable ads on the platform before playing a video.
On September 8, YouTube responded to a user’s complaint that they were forced to watch five ads through the YouTube team’s official Twitter account, where they discuss the updates.
“Well… it can happen with a certain type of ad format called microspots because they’re only 6 seconds long. If you prefer, you can submit comments directly from YouTube using the feedback tool,” the YouTube team said.
Gizmochina published a report on September 13, revealing that many users on the platform had complained about ads that could not be skipped.
The report states that the non-skippable ads system is being tested for free YouTube users, not YouTube Premium users. This has led to speculation that YouTube may be considering increasing the number of subscription-based users of premium YouTube content.
However, not all users using the free version of YouTube see all five ads, indicating that the system is still being tested.
Bumper ads, which the YouTube team mentions in their tweet, were introduced in 2016. These ads are non-skippable and may appear before, during, or after a video.
Zoom in zoom out
YouTube has started testing the “pinch and zoom” feature for premium users of its mobile app. According to 9to5Google, this feature is optional and works in portrait and landscape mode. Users can zoom in on any part of the video for clarity.
According to reports, YouTube only tested the feature until September 1st to collect user feedback and make changes accordingly. This feature is expected to expand as needed after YouTube makes adjustments.
Expand monitoring capabilities
Under Supervised Accounts, parents can select specific content settings to restrict full access to videos and music that children under 13 can find and play. They can also choose which features, account settings, and ads they want their children to see.
To further support parents, YouTube announced in January 2022 that these supervised accounts can now use the video-sharing platform on smart TVs and other eligible devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets as an app or via a web browser. Kids with supervised accounts can also access YouTube Music as an app and on the web.
Plus, parents with US supervised accounts can use YouTube, YouTube Kids, and YouTube Music on devices with the Google Assistant.
Presentation of the short films
The short videos have gone viral on the internet. Be it Instagram Reels or Facebook Reels, the demand for short videos is increasing day by day as people prefer to watch short videos. YouTube has also decided to integrate it into its platform in 2020 in the form of “shorts”. According to the official YouTube blog, the short films were a smash hit with a total of 5 billion views.
To support this growth, in February all Android devices were allowed to create short clips by importing horizontal videos of 60 seconds or less from their device’s gallery.
In March, this feature was improved on the iPhone, after which it is possible to improve the lighting when shooting a short video. To find the lighting icon on your iPhone, you need to tap the Zoom out more option on the camera toolbar. Also, you can now edit your video in real time. All you have to do is click the retouch wand on the camera toolbar and experience the skin smoothing effect on your phone. Both features remain until you turn them off manually.
Also, now you can watch short films on your computer, laptop, tablet and mobile phone. If you’re using a tablet or phone, you can watch the short films by tapping the short film icon at the bottom of the YouTube app or browser screen.
YouTube Studio editor improvements
To further support creators, YouTube updated the Studio Editor feature in February with a number of improvements. Users can now easily add video thumbnails, end screens, audio clips, and info cards to their videos.
You can also crop and blur the videos accordingly. The purpose of this setting is to simplify video editing for the respective YouTube channel.
Extension of the translation editors
According to YouTube, “Captions Editor is a new channel license in YouTube Studio that allows creators to outsource caption creation to their channel.”
In April, access for translation editors was updated with a number of promotions. Content creators can allow trusted people to add and edit subtitles to their videos, as well as edit subtitles for videos that were originally set to the default language.
New Addiction Tab
Creators can now use YouTube Analytics to measure the performance of their channels against expected metrics and create content that helps them reach more viewers.
In April, YouTube introduced a new search feature that lets you see what viewers and audiences have been searching for over the past 28 days. You’ll also get stats like similar channel searches, content gaps, and search volume for each term ranked as low, medium, and high, which can be further filtered by geography and language.
To get these stats, log in and click Analytics in the left menu of your YouTube Studio account. Then select “Search” and enter a topic or a term in the search field. You can also view saved search items, view Google Trends, or highlight a search item or unsave it.
YouTube will roll out this feature in additional languages in the coming months.
Increased Strictness
As an author, you can use a new optional setting in YouTube Studio to moderate potentially inappropriate comments on videos.
The optional Increase Strictness setting allows you to submit more comments for review, especially when editors find potentially objectionable content on their channels and want to remove it.
Another update
In April, YouTube tightened its harassment and cyberbullying policies on sharing personal information. As part of this, you can no longer share medical records or other personal information.
In addition, new policies titled “Content unsuitable for children and families” have been created to target ads that are suitable for children. It is divided into three categories: “Content that encourages negative behavior”, “Adult content directed at children” and “Content directed at children”.
