YouTube Overhauls TV App, Adds Multiview
## YouTube Overhauls TV App, Adds Multiview and More for its 20th Anniversary
YouTube is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a suite of new features across its platforms, including a redesigned TV app, expanded multiview capabilities, and AI-powered music tools. The updates aim to enhance user experience and cater to the growing number of viewers accessing YouTube through their televisions.
A significant update is the overhaul of the YouTube TV app. The redesign focuses on improved navigation, playback quality tweaks, and streamlined access to comments and channel information. This comes as YouTube reports that most views now originate from the TV app, rather than mobile devices or web browsers. While specific design details are currently limited, the changes aim to create a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, potentially mirroring the simplicity of platforms like Netflix.
Beyond the app redesign, YouTube TV subscribers will gain access to an expanded multiview feature. Initially limited to sports content, multiview now allows users to customize their viewing experience with up to four streams simultaneously, including a selection of popular non-sports channels. This initially includes a small group of channels, with plans to expand to a broader set of networks across various content genres in the coming months.
On the main YouTube platform, several new features are rolling out. For YouTube Premium and YouTube Music subscribers, an AI-powered tool called "Ask Music" creates personalized radio stations based on user-described moods or musical preferences. Premium subscribers also gain access to 4x playback speed on iOS and Android devices. Additionally, a new voice reply feature for comments is slated to launch later this year, empowering content creators to engage more directly with their audience.
Finally, YouTube acknowledges several existing hidden features, including 2x speed playback via long-pressing the video player, screen locking to prevent interruptions, and a sleep timer. The company also highlights lesser-known keyboard shortcuts and the Song Search feature, functioning similarly to Shazam, enabling users to identify songs by humming or singing. These updates demonstrate YouTube's commitment to continuous improvement and its efforts to enhance user engagement across its varied platforms.
YouTube is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a suite of new features across its platforms, including a redesigned TV app, expanded multiview capabilities, and AI-powered music tools. The updates aim to enhance user experience and cater to the growing number of viewers accessing YouTube through their televisions.
A significant update is the overhaul of the YouTube TV app. The redesign focuses on improved navigation, playback quality tweaks, and streamlined access to comments and channel information. This comes as YouTube reports that most views now originate from the TV app, rather than mobile devices or web browsers. While specific design details are currently limited, the changes aim to create a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, potentially mirroring the simplicity of platforms like Netflix.
Beyond the app redesign, YouTube TV subscribers will gain access to an expanded multiview feature. Initially limited to sports content, multiview now allows users to customize their viewing experience with up to four streams simultaneously, including a selection of popular non-sports channels. This initially includes a small group of channels, with plans to expand to a broader set of networks across various content genres in the coming months.
On the main YouTube platform, several new features are rolling out. For YouTube Premium and YouTube Music subscribers, an AI-powered tool called "Ask Music" creates personalized radio stations based on user-described moods or musical preferences. Premium subscribers also gain access to 4x playback speed on iOS and Android devices. Additionally, a new voice reply feature for comments is slated to launch later this year, empowering content creators to engage more directly with their audience.
Finally, YouTube acknowledges several existing hidden features, including 2x speed playback via long-pressing the video player, screen locking to prevent interruptions, and a sleep timer. The company also highlights lesser-known keyboard shortcuts and the Song Search feature, functioning similarly to Shazam, enabling users to identify songs by humming or singing. These updates demonstrate YouTube's commitment to continuous improvement and its efforts to enhance user engagement across its varied platforms.
