YouTube Premium Upgrade Adds Smart Downloads and Picture-in-Picture Mode for Shorts
YouTube is introducing several new features for its Premium users, including smart downloads and support for picture-in-picture mode for Shorts. Additionally, the platform is expanding its "Jump Ahead" feature to help users navigate through videos more efficiently.
The video streaming platform already allows background play and picture-in-picture mode for long-form videos, enabling users to consume content while browsing other apps. Now, this feature is being extended to Shorts, starting with Android users.
The "Jump ahead" button allows users to skip to the most interesting parts of a video. When users tap on the button, YouTube jumps to the best parts of the video, which are identified using a combination of viewer data and machine learning. This feature has been in testing since last month and is now being rolled out to all Android users in the U.S., with an iOS rollout scheduled for the next few weeks.
Furthermore, YouTube is adding new experimental features for a limited time. One of these features is a conversational AI tool that allows users to ask the chatbot questions related to the video or request suggested content. The company had first tested this feature last year and is now bringing it back for Android users in the U.S.
Another feature is smart download support for Shorts. This means that, based on users' recent Shorts viewing history, YouTube will automatically download some short videos for offline viewing.
YouTube has over 100 million paid users worldwide, and these new features are expected to enhance their viewing experience.
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