YouTube has introduced a number of new features for Premium subscribers, including a quick way to skip the more boring parts of a video. When users double-tap a video, it will now skip to the parts of the video that YouTube has flagged as more interesting, based on a combination of AI and viewer data. The feature is currently live for Android users in the US, but will be rolling out to iOS users in the coming weeks.
Premium subscribers on Android will now be able to watch Shorts while checking email, scrolling through social media, or generally doing something in other apps, thanks to the new picture-in-picture feature.
Premium users will also have access to YouTube’s latest experimental features. One of YouTube’s latest tests is a smart download feature for Shorts, which automatically saves the service’s short-form videos to users’ devices so they can be watched offline later.
Additionally, Android users now have access to a conversational AI experience that can answer their questions and recommend relevant content without them having to stop watching whatever is playing on their screen. However, this feature is currently limited to users in the US and only applies to English videos that display an “Ask” button.
Finally, Premium subscribers get access to YouTube’s watch page, which has been redesigned for the web and seemingly makes it easier to find relevant content.
YouTube is taking important steps to make its Premium service more attractive
YouTube Premium removes ads from videos and gives subscribers access to offline viewing, Music Premium and other perks. The Google-owned video-sharing platform announced in February that it had reached 100 million subscribers across both Premium and Music. But the company is trying to get more people to pay for its services. In addition to introducing new perks, Google is also waging a war on ad blockers. The company recently began blocking ad-blocking apps on mobile devices from accessing its videos.