YouTube’s in a near-constant battle to maintain its place among the best entertainment apps, always implementing interesting new features to keep up with the likes of TikTok and Instagram. In August alone, YouTube has already added an experimental zoom option for Premium subscribers and AI-generated video summaries to its arsenal of functionality. And now, the platform is experimenting with a couple of more engaging features to improve the experience with Shorts and educational content.
Shorts have garnered immense popularity on YouTube. Addressing this trend, YouTube is testing Q&A stickers for Shorts on mobile devices. With these stickers, Shorts creators can pose questions to their viewers, fostering interactive communities. For instance, a creator might ask, “What song should I dance to next?” Viewers can respond via comments, and their answers are visible to other viewers in the Short’s comment section. While this feature is still in the experimental phase, available only to a small percentage of creators, the potential implications for community-building are significant.
Moreover, YouTube is working on an intriguing feature for academic content. Recognizing the platform’s role in education, YouTube is trialing an automatic method to highlight key concepts in learning videos. This function would identify and present essential concepts with images and brief text snippets in real-time, right on the video’s watch page. Currently, this test is focused on a select set of English-language educational videos on subjects like biology, physics, and chemistry. The experiment is mobile-centric, aimed at a limited audience, but creators have the liberty to opt out of the Key Concepts feature.
With these continual advancements, both viewers and creators have much to anticipate. Shorts are no longer just snippets of fun – they’re conversations waiting to happen with the new Q&A stickers. On the flip side, learning videos are getting a sprinkle of academic pixie dust, turning regular watch sessions into insightful masterclasses with Key Concepts. As YouTube keeps pushing the envelope, one thing’s for sure: the platform’s always got a fresh trick up its sleeve to delight and educate its diverse audience.
