YouTube is constantly improving and now offers not only the usual video viewing, but also many tools that make the user experience more comfortable. Some of these features are hidden or little-known, but in this article, we’ve collected them all to help you maximize the potential of the YouTube platform.
Watch videos in the background (on mobile devices)
If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, you can watch videos in the background even after you’ve closed the app or switched to another app. This is especially useful for listening to music, podcasts, or long interviews while you’re doing other things. You can listen to videos on the go, while doing household chores, or just relaxing. This feature eliminates the need to keep your smartphone screen on all the time.
Automatic subtitles
YouTube supports the automatic subtitling feature, which can be useful for watching videos in a foreign language or in cases where sound is not available. Automatic subtitles are created using speech recognition technology, which allows you to understand the context even in noisy environments. Although the quality of subtitles can sometimes be imperfect, it continues to improve each time due to the improvement of algorithms.
Rewind video with a double tap
One of the most convenient, but little-known features on mobile devices is double-tap rewind. If you double-tap on the left side of the screen, the video will rewind 10 seconds, and if you double-tap on the right side, it will fast-forward 10 seconds. This is a perfect way to quickly revisit your favorite moment or skip an uninteresting part without any extra effort.
Exact start time of video playback
Want to share a video that starts at a specific point in time? YouTube allows you to copy a time-stamped URL. To do this, right-click on the video and select Copy Video URL with Current Time. This feature is useful for sharing important moments with friends or colleagues.
Hot keys for computers
If you often use YouTube on your computer, you should also know about hotkeys that make working with videos much easier:
- “K” – pause/playback.
- “J” – rewind for 10 seconds.
- “L” – fast forward 10 seconds.
- “M” – mute the sound.
View and manage your history
To find videos you’ve watched before or to clear your history to adjust your recommendations, you can go to the History section of your profile. There, you can easily delete individual videos or clear your viewing history completely. Managing your history allows you to fine-tune your recommendation algorithms, which helps you get more relevant content.
“Rest” reminder function
During long viewing sessions, you may accidentally get stuck on a video for several hours. But there’s a useful reminder feature called Take a Break. In the settings, you can set a time interval after which YouTube will remind you to take a break. Then you can control your viewing time and prevent excessive use.
Dark mode
Dark mode reduces eye strain, especially when viewing at night. It also helps save battery power on devices with OLED screens. To activate it, go to your profile menu and select “Dark Mode”. We can add that this is not only a convenience, but also a way to make the interface more stylish.
Create automatic playlists
Automatically adding videos to playlists makes it easier to organize your content. You can set up rules for adding new videos that match your interests or criteria. This is very useful for creating thematic collections, for example, playlists with educational lectures or music videos.
Variable playback speed
Change the speed to customize your viewing experience – slow down the video up to 0.25x to understand complex points, or speed up to 2x for fast viewing. This feature is indispensable for training videos when you need to concentrate on certain details or, on the contrary, to view the material faster. You can change the speed by clicking on the gear icon in the video settings menu. All in all, YouTube offers many useful features that will make your experience more efficient, and all of these little-known tools will definitely help you make the most of the platform, whether you’re watching videos for fun, learning, or work.