The YouTube app for Android and iOS has gotten an update that adds permanent listening controls to all videos. Premium subscribers are the only ones who can get the update right now.
Most videos have a settings section where you may access the Listening Controls. YouTube does, however, recommend launching “Listening Controls” via a pop-up for select videos.
The basic play, pause, and previous or next video buttons provide the standard set of controls. With the upgrade, you’ll also get 10 second rewind and forward buttons.
The like, save, and speed playback controls are all found on the control page.
Listening Controls are permanent and stay on top of the screen once activated, even if the user moves to a different movie.
‘Listening Controls’ were first trialed by the video streaming website in May, with the goal of adding a separate music player to the main app for its Premium customers.
The process of YouTube’s main application receiving listening control features will benefit its YouTube Music App, as users will be more inclined to switch to YouTube music for listening to songs and playing song videos as a result of having more control over the new features.
Google has even pushed consumers to use the separate app that comes with Premium memberships so far.
Apart from that, the newly introduced UI of the app suggests that some people are simply so used to listening to audio in the main client that YouTube has finally relented and created an optimized in-app experience, as well as Google has made it a paid perk to encourage upgrades and also removes ads.
We’ll have to wait and see if YouTube eventually implements these settings for regular users.
To read our latest blog on Pakistan’s first National AI policy, click here.
