YouTube adds new features to make Shorts videos more fun and easy

Image: YouTube

Aside from testing live videos in Shorts, YouTube is rolling out new features to help you make Shorts videos easily and creatively. One of the features, currently in testing, allows you to transform a horizontal YouTube clip into a vertical Short by zooming and cropping the original video.

Another feature, called suggestions, helps you to replicate the audio and effect from a video you like. This is similar to how TikTok and Meta’s Reels let users reuse audio and effects from other videos. But YouTube’s version will also match the audio time stamp to the original clip.

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YouTube tests live videos in Shorts

Image: YouTube

YouTube is testing a new feature that will show live videos in your Shorts feed—similar to how TikTok live videos appear. You can tap on the live video to watch the stream and then swipe through a feed of other live videos. This feed will also support creator monetization features like paid chats and memberships.

This feature could help creators reach new audiences with Shorts and increase engagement and revenue with live videos. It also follows TikTok’s strategy of using live videos to promote products, target specific audiences, and host exciting virtual events. YouTube plans to roll out full-screen live videos in the coming months gradually.

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YouTube tests a feature that lets you make Shorts inspired by comments

Photo by Alexander Shatov / Unsplash

YouTube continues to look for ways to make Shorts more engaging and fun. And one of its latest experiments is letting viewers use comments from other videos as inspiration for their own Shorts. This experiment, called “viewer-created Shorts featuring comments,” is only available to a small group of users on Android and iOS devices. It works like this: when a viewer watches a video, they can select any comment from that video and use it as a starting point for their own Short. They can then edit and add effects to their Short as usual. The original creator of the video and the author of the comment will not be notified when this happens, but the viewer who made the Short can find it on their channel page and in the Shorts feed.

However, not everyone may want their comments to be used for Shorts. And that’s why YouTube gives creators the option to disable comments on their videos. This way, they can prevent viewers from making Shorts out of their comments. YouTube says this is just an experiment, and it may not roll out to everyone. The company often tests new features without announcing them, so this one could be a sign of something bigger to come.

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Meta's Threads welcomes Google, YouTube, and other official accounts

Meta’s Threads is considered a hit, with 70 million sign-ups in two days. It also attracted Google and its divisions/companies to join the social network. Some of the early adopters include Google for Developers (@googlefordevs), Google Workspace (@googleworkspace), and Google DeepMind (@deepmind), as well as YouTube (@YouTube), which has already posted on Threads. Google (@google), with millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter, made its debut on Friday morning with a “Hey” and a Chrome Dino post. It also reminded users how to access the offline game on Chrome widgets for Android, iOS, and desktop: chrome://dino.

Google Pixel (@googlepixel) also joined today, and more accounts, like Android, are expected to follow. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) is also on the platform. Besides promoting their products and news, will Google and YouTube use Threads for customer support? That remains to be seen. But social support is a key feature of modern social networks and something Twitter was typically used for.

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