YouTube has officially added picture-in-picture viewing to its Shorts videos, giving users another way to watch Shorts content, and is also testing new ways to mention other users in comments and downloading Shorts videos for Premium subscribers.
First, Shorts PiP: YouTube Premium subscribers can now minimize the Shorts viewing window so they can perform other tasks on their device while watching a Shorts clip.
According to YouTube:
“Multitask like a pro with the new picture-in-picture feature in YouTube Shorts. On your Android device, you can watch your favorite short videos while browsing other apps or checking your messages. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in entertainment without missing a moment. YouTube Shorts is more flexible than ever, giving you endless fun.“
YouTube has been working on this option for a while now, and with the increased consumption of Shorts within the app, it makes sense for YouTube to add an alternative viewing option.
I mean, it seems distracting, but I think that’s a personal concern.
YouTube also announced the official launch of its @mention test, which allows users to mention other channels in YouTube comments.
YouTube first announced the test earlier this month, but it’s now happening in a live environment.
“If you’re in the experimental group, on your Android or iOS device, just type the “@” symbol followed by the letters or symbols of a channel name/handle in a comment and you’ll get a suggested list of channels to choose from. Select the channel you want to mention, leave your comment and the handle will appear as a mention with a clickable link.
YouTube says that currently only a small number of creators can post comments that include mentions, but all viewers and creators can respond to these comments.
YouTube has also started allowing premium subscribers to download Short videos to their devices, and is also expanding testing of conversational AI bots to more premium users.
Most of these are premium-only features, so you’ll need to sign up if you want to try them out. None of them are “game-changing” features, but they do give us some further insight into how YouTube is looking to improve the viewing experience, and what features it may roll out to all users one day.
