YouTube Tests A New App Experience To Give Viewers Direct Access To Shorts Content
Source: YouTube
YouTube announced it’s testing a new experience that gives viewers direct to Shorts.
How It Works
After watching Shorts, select users who close the YouTube app will be directed to the Shorts player when they re-open the app. However, users who close the YouTube app while watching content besides Shorts will return to their previous viewing experience.
Users participating in the test can send feedback to YouTube by clicking the three-dot menu in the Shorts player and selecting Send Feedback.
Increase Shorts Adoption
n this test, YouTube creates an experience similar to TikTok's, where videos start playing as soon as users open the app. The increased visibility of Shorts will provide YouTube with the opportunity to enhance Shorts usage and adoption, and establish itself as a destination for both short-form and long-form content.
Short-Form Video Continues To Gain Popularity
The test comes at a time when short-form video content continues to grow in popularity. While TikTok is the most popular short-form video platform, platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and even Reddit are also developing experiences focused on short-form video content.
When YouTube launched Shorts, it seemed to be just trying to "check the box" to offer short-form video support. However, YouTube has made several strategic moves regarding Shorts over the past few months, suggesting that Shorts have become an integral part of the YouTube experience.
future plans for shorts
YouTube's investments in Shorts do not seem to be slowing down any time soon. YouTube announced recently that it would be developing new tools to help creators grow and monetize their audiences with Shorts, and to help viewers discover more relevant Shorts content.
Alphabet, YouTube's parent company, revealed in its Q2 earnings call that Shorts saw 15 billion daily views, up from 6.5 billion daily views in the previous quarter.
