What you need to know
- YouTube shared the contents of its newest test for mobile app users, which brings “Previews” for discovering videos.
- Available through an entry card on the homepage, users will find “five to 10” previews for videos already recommended for them.
- After viewing, the user can choose to watch the full video, save it for later, and more.
YouTube recently shared details about a test it will run with a small group of users, designed to help you see what a video is all about.
Through its support page, YouTube’s running list of test features and experiments detailed the addition of “Discover videos with Previews” (via Android Authority). While the idea of this might sound familiar, YouTube states it’s bringing these Previews in a totally different way. For a “small percentage” of mobile app users, YouTube will offer these “Previews” through the entry card on the homepage.
Users will be given “five to 10” previews featuring “short, engaging moments from videos that are already recommended for you.” What YouTube doesn’t explain is how these previews will look. Will they be quick snippets in a landscape format for these long-form videos, or in more of a Shorts style? Either way, it seems YouTube means for these previews to just give you a taste before you hop into the full piece of content.
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It states you can watch the full video right after the preview, add the video to your “watch later” list, and more. The folks at Android Authority make an interesting guess: this could be YouTube’s way of helping users navigate misinformation or misleading thumbnails. This could be one aspect of it, or YouTube is simply looking to glue people to its app even more.
YouTube’s got previews for your previews
YouTube started rolling out another feature to users this week, as part of its AI selection of “Remix” tools for Shorts. Users were treated to “Reimagine” earlier this week, an AI feature that lets you grab one scene from the Short you’re watching to change it into something different. Users can upload two pieces of reference materials, such as a photo of themselves and their pet.
The feature will ask for a written prompt, or you can choose one that’s offered by Gemini. The platform, through Google’s Veo video generator, will create a short eight-second clip of whatever you’ve “reimagined.” If you’re uploading this video, YouTube Shorts will link back to the original content. We’re to expect more AI features on YouTube in 2026. The platform said as much during their outlook for this year; however, it will see to it that real creators are front and center.
Android Central’s Take
This feature is a little similar to what already exists on the platform. Right now, I can hover over a video on my computer or simply “hover” over a video on my phone and it’ll start playing. Granted, there’s no sound, but it’s a preview to give you an idea of what the content looks like before clicking to see it for real. I’m not entirely sure how YouTube’s new test will work in practice, I’d have to get it to know for sure. Right now, on the surface, it feels a little redundant.
